Study Abroad Programs Blog

Warmth of Merida, Mexico

By Jeremy Carter - Guest blogger traveling in Merida, Mexico. On our 4th day in Mexico, a classmate and I took our first ride on a city bus, traveling from the school to the main square downtown to attend a traditional dance performance. The trip to the theater was easy, and you can't beat a bus fare of 4.50 pesos, or about 45 cents in US currency. The show was spectacular, covering styles of dance from the past 2,000 years. (My favorite: the ancient Mayan tribal dances.) The bus trip back to the north of the city was an adventure. We missed our stop, and since we were on the last bus of the night, we had to get off the bus and take a cab. Lucky for us there was a cab at the convenience store where we stopped, and the cabbie was glad to take us home. However, he was on break and having a coffee, so in typical Mexican "maniana" fashion, he wasn't in too much of a rush, and we sat at the convenience store talking for 15 minutes or more. There and on the way home we chatted about Mexico, and he gave us pointers on using the bus system, plus gave us insight into the places we passed on the way back. Just one of many examples of the incredible warmth and friendliness I've been met with in such a short period of time. Here, store clerks greet you when you enter and ask if you're sure there's nothing else you want when you check out. It's almost like having your grandmother ringing you up. "Are you sure that's going to be enough to hold you over until dinner...maybe a soda to go with your chips?" While looking for the bus stop on our way downtown yesterday evening, a very nice young man walking his dogs took us along with him since the bus stop was on his way. In addition, three people in our class have commented how here in Merida women aren't met with catcalls like they are in many Latin American cities. (however good-natured and innocent those catcalls may be, they can catch travelers from other cultures off-guard). The folks here in the Yucatan definitely take hospitality to an entirely new level.

Famous Mosques

By Alexa Boyce For those of you who may not know, a Mosque is an Islamic place of worship. English-speakers use the word as a general term, but Muslims actually differentiate between small, privately owned Mosques (Masjid) and larger community Mosques (Masjid jami). While mosques started as small open-air places of prayer, today they are characterized by the domes, minarets and elaborate prayer halls. The Masjid al- Haram in Mecca, the Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina and Al Asqa in Jerusalem are considered the three holiest sites in Islam. As with all architecture, Mosques in different areas of the Islamic world have evolved differently. The Arab-plan or hypostyle mosques are square or rectangular with a covered prayer hall and a central courtyard to hold the overflow worshippers during busy Friday services. One of the more famous of these mosques is the Mezquita in Moorish-influenced Cordoba, Spain. The ceiling is supported by over 850 colums. (Authors note: I have been to this mosque-turned-cathedral and it is truly impressive, if a little dim. There are few windows in the massive hall). With the Ottomans came the advent of the central dome mosque, with the large dome being centered over the prayer hall. This style can be reminiscent of Byzantine architecture which also features a large central dome. Iwan mosques are almost strictly found in Iran. They are likely converted pre-Islamic Zoroastrian fire temples, where vaulted iwans open into a central courtyard used for prayer. The Zoroastrians may have used this space for their sacred fire. Ancient mosques did not feature minarets as many mosques today do. These towers are often not only the tallest point of the mosque, but the tallest architectural feature around. Modern Conservative Muslims, or Wahhabis, do not build mosques with Minarets as they consider them ostentatious. They were originally constructed in the 7th century in order to compete with the bell towers in Christian cathedrals. It is intended for the same purpose, where a muezzin calls worshippers to prayer. This call to prayer is referred to as adhan. Ritual purification that precedes prayer, or ablution, means that most mosques have fountains or other facilities in which to perform this procedure. In order to preserve cleanliness, shoes are also not worn inside the mosques. SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque

Bus Ride in Quito

By Robin Fillner - SALUD Program Guest blogger traveling in Quito. Wow - the bus today was really intense (this is my weekly bus report!) today was Ecuador vs. Costa Rica in the world cup match. And because there is no school and no work, I thought it would be less crowded. But no, it was more crowded because people wanted to get somewhere to watch the games. The game started at 8:00 and I have to be at school at 8:30. The bus stop was packed and people (this is common actually) just hang out the doors because it's too packed to close the door. When you can finally get in the bus you have to shove your way in to get some room and hang on to something (there usually are no seats) or else you'll fall on everyone. So then everyone pushes their way to the exit door when it's close to their stop. If you aren't right next to the door then you will surely miss your stop because they don't wait. A lot of times people jump off when the bus is moving; that has never been my case fortunately. So today, everyone was pushing so hard to get off the bus and then at the bus station people were sprinting (I am not joking!) to get on their next bus. So funny! I was just leisurely strolling amongst chaos. When I was in the next bus, Ecuador scored again Costa Rica and in the back of the bus (someone that had a radio) was completely mad. Yelling, it was so crazy! Then the bus stopped and people started sprinting again. I love it! I have learned to embrace the bus. Vive la Ecuador - they won 3-0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Odd Foods

By Alexa Boyce I recently read an article about a Beijing restaurant called the Cat Meatball Restaurant shutting down due to animal rights protesters. The thought of cat meatballs disgusts me as an American, but I'm sure to some Chinese people (obviously not all of them), it is an inexpensive or tasty dinner. I came across a website that I just had to share. It is called www.weird-food.com and discusses the various "strange" foods that are eaten around the world, and how they may not be so strange to those in the culture. They state that these so-called weird foods are eaten not because of sacred scripture or sanitary reasons, but in order to distinguish your culture's "insiders" from outsiders. They made a point to state that the foods on their list are there not because they are unpopular (ie eggplant) but because they are cultural identifiers. Here are some of my favorites: * Tarantula (Cambodia): The practice of eating these fuzzy arachnids apparently started during the reign of Khmer Rouge when food was scarce. But now, the town of Skuon sells hundreds of the spiders daily as a sort of 'fast food'. * Gusano Worms (Mexico): These worms live on the agave plants and are purposefully placed inside bottles of the more "authentic" brands of tequila. There is even a type of tequila manufactured in Mexico and sold in 2-ounce bottles called "Dos Gusanos", or two worms. For those who can't get enough! * Witchety Grub (Australia): Eating these insect larvae was a staple in the diets of the aborigines. Now it is served as a delicacy in the finest restaurants as a patriotic dish! * Monkey Toes (Indonesia): Deep fried monkey toes, eaten right off the bone. This one sounds like a joke, doesn't it? * Pig's Blood with Eggs (Hungary): Apparently when Hungarians kill the first pig of the season, they collect the blood and add scrambled eggs as a celebration. * Squirrel Brain (southern USA): Cook the whole cleaned squirrel, then crack the skull using your fingers and dig the brains. * Nozki (Poland): Nozki is what the Polish call Jellied Cow's Foot. Buy a cow's foot, chop into pieces and cook for hours in water and spices. Then pour into a flat pan and refrigerate. You will be left with a grey jelly with a layer of fat on top. Serve with horseradish. * Criadillas (Spain): I actually had a friend who attended a 'Testicle Festival' in the Western US, where they are apparently called 'Prarie Oysters'. The Spanish serve them sliced with garlic and parsley. * Baby Mouse Wine (China): Whole baby mice in a bottle of nice wine. Also common in China is Snake wine. Same basic concept, but open the gall bladders and drain into the wine. * Clay (US South, Africa, Worldwide): Apparently eating dirt/clay that is rich in minerals, either to settle your stomach or as a mineral supplement is more common than one would think. * Scrapple (USA): I had to include this one. Scrapple is made up of all the leftover pig parts including lips, snout, organs, etc. Formed into a gelatinous cube with cornmeal, sliced and fried. Here in Philadelphia, its often served with Maple syrup and eaten for breakfast. Check out the page for recipes on how to make these 'delicacies' and more!

Arriving to Merida, Mexico

By Jeremy Carter - Guest blogger traveling in Merida, Mexico. Greetings from Mérida! Even after being here for 24 hours, that still sounds odd, as it's hard to believe I'm spending a month in one of my favorite cities. Every part of this trip has been perfect so far, from the flight to the homestay to the school itself. Thankfully, my greatest fear -- that every bit of Spanish I know would escape me as soon as I set foot on Mexican soil -- didn't materialize. In fact, being immersed in the culture has provided exactly the jump-start my language skills have needed. My Spanish is far from perfect, but the people have been incredibly accommodating and are enthusiastic to help out, gladly repeating things and helping me when I'm searching for a word. And the school itself has been fantastic. Everyone -- from the directors to the administration to the instructors -- has made us all the students feel at home. One of the most interesting aspects of the trip so far was flying in on the day México was electing a new president. It's been a crash course in Mexican political history, as the election has, of course, been the main topic of many a conversation. Which of the two main candidates, Calderon or Lopez Obrador, won still isn't known and probably won't be until Wednesday due to the closeness of the race, but both men were on TV within minutes of each other last night claiming their victory. And Mexicans are anything but ambivalent about elections, with each person having very passionate opinions about each party and its candidates.

Confucius Says

"Eating is the utmost important thing in life" - By Kayla Allen China is a huge country with a great variety in climate, landscape and crops so it's not surprising that China's cuisine is just as varied. Very generally speaking, there are eight main kinds of Chinese cuisine and four major "flavors"; Cantonese, Szechuan, Northern China (Peking) and that of Eastern China, which also can bear further breaking down as the food and tradition varies a great deal in this region. The variety of ingredients can also be attributed to famine and hardship. China has been an agricultural civilization for thousands of years and has suffered from poor harvests. During lean years, people would explore everything edible to stay alive. Many strange and incredible ingredients such as wood ears, lily buds, etc. were discovered and added to Chinese recipes. The scarcity of food also taught people how to avoid waste. Various fruit and vegetable peels and even shark fins turned out to be delicacies in Chinese food. When thinking about what sets Chinese cuisine apart aside from diversity, I think of how much consideration is given to every aspect of the Chinese meal. Attention and appreciation seem to be the hallmark of Chinese cuisine. From the ingredients and cooking methods to the utensils you eat with, every step and what it both looks and tastes like is equally important. Confucius once said: "Eating is the utmost important thing in life" and Chinese cuisine seems to take this literally. You might feel the same when you taste this dish: Fried Two Winters Ingredients: * 1 block firm tofu * 8 - 10 Chinese Black Mushrooms * 1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots * 1 clove garlic, finely chopped * 1/2 cup vegetable broth * 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce * 1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry * 1 tablespoon oyster sauce * 1 teaspoon granulated sugar * 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 4 teaspoons water * 4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed Preparation: Drain the tofu and cut into 1-inch cubes. Soften the dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water and slice. If desired, strain a reserve a bit of the soaking water to add to the sauce. Rinse the bamboo shoots under warm running water to remove any "tinny" taste. Drain thoroughly. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the vegetable broth, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Set aside. In another small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Set aside. Heat the wok and add 2 tablespoons oil, drizzling it around the sides of the wok. When the oil is hot, add the bean curd cubes. Stir-fry until browned. Remove the bean curd from the wok. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the dried mushrooms and the bamboo shoots. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Push the vegetables up to the sides. Add the sauce in the middle of the wok. Add the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the bean curd. Heat through. Remove from the stove and sprinkle with a few drops of sesame oil if desired. Serve hot. To enjoy any Chinese meal one should use Chinese utensils, chopsticks. The use of chopsticks help to insure that you are given the time to savor and enjoy everything you pick up from your plate and put in your mouth. Here are some simple directions for those of you who may need a little help: First, hold the upper stick like a pen with your thumb and middle finger. Second, take the lower one with the thumb and set it on the ring finger. Finally, try to move the two sticks and pick up your favorite dish. YUM.

Experience the Culture - Quito

By Robin Fillner - SALUD Program Guest blogger traveling in Quito. Next, we went to a nearby town where the celebration of Inti Rayme was in full swing. The indigenous people celebrate their own version of the summer solstice with drinking Canela - a fermented lemony, sugary alcohol. They drink for a whole week nonstop! Wow! They wore chap-like pants with lots of fur. Llama possibly? In addition, wear pink masks, originally to make fun of the sunburnt Espanolas, or masks of demons and wolves, and dogs, and such. They also wear lots of mirrors, thought to protect them by capturing the souls of men inside. Each town celebrates just a little differently due to the different tribes of people living there. In one town, the riot police were in full swing just in case fights broke out. As if the whole day wasn't great already, we took rooms in a hacienda outside of Imbaburra, a town known for it's white buildings. This place was more of a resort. The main building was centered around a courtyard of begonias and table with umbrellas. I actually had a room with a bathroom-shower inside and a huge bed all to myself. There was a chandelier over the bed! None of us in the group were expecting such luxury. And this was all included in the price of our program. Down a little path between more small buildings of rooms was a sauna, spa, and steam room. My eyes wouldn't let me go though, they just wanted to be closed and in bed. Dinner was equally amazing, in a grand house in the middle of who knows where. We could see the southern cross and the big dipper in the same sky on the walk to the house. We talked a lot that night and it was interesting to hear about the interests of those in the group. Most of them are in Osteopathic school, which focuses more on holistic and alternative medicine. None of them, except the Anesthesiologist of 20 years of course, had really had much experience in the hospital except me. So we traded stories and discussed our intentions for the future. Most of them are really interested in traveling and want to do study abroad as much as possible.

Experience the Culture

By Robin Fillner - SALUD Program Guest blogger traveling in Quito. Next, we went to a nearby town where the celebration of Inti Rayme was in full swing. The indigenous people celebrate their own version of the summer solstice with drinking Canela - a fermented lemony, sugary alcohol. They drink for a whole week nonstop! Wow! They wore chap-like pants with lots of fur. Llama possibly? In addition, wear pink masks, originally to make fun of the sunburnt Espanolas, or masks of demons and wolves, and dogs, and such. They also wear lots of mirrors, thought to protect them by capturing the souls of men inside. Each town celebrates just a little differently due to the different tribes of people living there. In one town, the riot police were in full swing just in case fights broke out. As if the whole day wasn't great already, we took rooms in a hacienda outside of Imbaburra, a town known for it's white buildings. This place was more of a resort. The main building was centered around a courtyard of begonias and table with umbrellas. I actually had a room with a bathroom-shower inside and a huge bed all to myself. There was a chandelier over the bed! None of us in the group were expecting such luxury. And this was all included in the price of our program. Down a little path between more small buildings of rooms was a sauna, spa, and steam room. My eyes wouldn't let me go though, they just wanted to be closed and in bed. Dinner was equally amazing, in a grand house in the middle of who knows where. We could see the southern cross and the big dipper in the same sky on the walk to the house. We talked a lot that night and it was interesting to hear about the interests of those in the group. Most of them are in Osteopathic school, which focuses more on holistic and alternative medicine. None of them, except the Anesthesiologist of 20 years of course, had really had much experience in the hospital except me. So we traded stories and discussed our intentions for the future. Most of them are really interested in traveling and want to do study abroad as much as possible.

Military in Costa Rica

By Kayla Allen One of the many reasons Costa Rica continues to grow in popularity is the fact that at the end of its last civil war Costa Rica abolished its own military. Central America, which is so rich and diverse with both culture and breathtaking landscapes, has been plagued with civil unrest and not always the picture of what most people would like to do on their summer vacations. While in recent years traveling in Central America has become far more safe, nothing inspires a sense of peace as much as a country who not only abolished their army but who also took those dedicated funds and funneled them into security, education and culture. What could be more inviting than that? Costa Rica is now enjoying the benefits of earning the nickname "the Switzerland of Central America". Some say that tourism is fast becoming the country's highest annual contributor to its GDP. Along with the abolition of the military came other happy contributors to Costa Rica's growing success. In 1948, the 44-day civil war was the bloodiest event in 20th-century Costa Rican history with more than 2,000 dead. At its end new articles of their constitution were rewritten to eliminate the fraudulent aspect of elections which plagued its government's past. The new constitution also gave its Black population and women the right to vote. Due to its new democracy and the United State's aid in its civil war, Costa Rica and the US became allies further boosting its economy. With a newly empowered people and government, and a growing economy Costa Rica has become the country it is today where families from all over the world can discover new cultures, learn a new language and truly enjoy everything Costa Rica has to offer.

First Excursion from Quito

By Robin Fillner - SALUD Program Guest blogger traveling in Quito. I can't really figure this keyboard out very well. In Espanol they don't use very many apostrophes and I would have to push some alts and controls and some numbers to get to it... So I apologize for the mist punctuation. This weekend was really amazing! The Salud group took a hired bus around the Otovallo valley, which I had already visited and told you about a couple of weeks ago. But, we went to so many more places with our guia (guide) Juan F. He took us to Calderon, where the village is famous for making dough figures. Yes, they make little figurines out of dough and then bake them and paint really bright colors on them. Then we continued on our journey through a town called Cayambe, passing by an incredible snow capped mountain called Guayllabamba. There are several rose farms there grown for export to mainly the United States. Did I mention that roses are about 1 dollar a dozen here? In Cayambe, we tried bizcochos which are little sticks of yummy buttery bread that are meant for a spread of "caramelly" milk and sugar. After about five each, we visited a cemetery across the street where a funeral was just held. I think it's interesting to view death, wedding, birth, eating, etc.. rituals in other countries because these basic parts of life are so pertinent to each culture. At the cemetery they had dressed the tombstones, usually crooked crosses, with wreaths of silver foil and black flowers. Then, we went to Otovallo and visited the artisan market for 2 hours. The sun was directly overhead and extremely hot. I immediately bought a wooly hat to cover my part. It was too late unfortunately and I had already received a sunburn. I also scorched my eyes. Like snow blindness, but market blindness. It really hurt and even today, two days later, I still see a haze, although it is improving quite quickly. Then we had lunch in a family home with an incredible view of the valley and a huge mountain. The meal was delicious and they even did their best to cater to us veggies. But, the real deal came when cuy, or guinea pig, was served head and all. We all took a little piece, fur still attached, and tried to separate it's little bones from the scarce meat. Well, needless to say I was really grossed out by the whole thing and only had a microscopic piece. It was like greasy chicken.

A Letter to My Parents

in Montevideo.. Last Entry By Lawrence Selby - Guest blogger traveling in Montevideo. My host parents in Montevideo, Ana and Ricardo, keep a small scrapbook with notes, pictures and postcards from all their student guests (children). It's customary for each student that stays with them to write a small note in the scrapbook before they leave. Looking at the scrapbook is pretty interesting. They have had guests from all over Europe and the United States with an age range of 18 to 72. Ricardo loves to tell me about all the ¨chicas lindas¨ from Switzerland. Maybe it's because I play along with his jokes. Below is a copy of my entry into the scrapbook. I may not be able to type the accents and symbols unique to Spanish (or at least not used in English) correctly, but I will try. On second thought, maybe it won't be so difficult after all since I've been able to find them on the keyboard: (letters with accents). A Ana y Ricardo (mi madre y padre en Montevideo), Me gustaría agradecer a ustedes por todos. Pude vivir con ustedes y su familia una única y marvillosa experiencia para mí. ¡No es posible que no recuerde tiempo que pasé aquí, especialmente la comida excelente (muchos gracias Ana) y las malas palabras que Ricardo me enseño (muchos gracias Ricardo y "andá a cagar")! Tal vez un dia cuando yo puedo hablar español bien, nosotros podemos hablar otra vez y yo podría agradecer mejor. ¡Hasta aquel tiempo, quiero salud y felicidad por la familia Ortega! Me llamo Lorenzo. Soy de Nueva York, Estados Unidos y trabajo en sistema ingenieria. Yo estoy estudiando en la escuela de idiomas aqui por 4 semanas. Estoy contento con todos: la ciudad de Montevideo, la escuela, mis profesores, y especialmente mi familia aqui en Montevideo. Buena suerta. Su hijo de E.U., Lorenzo