Since living in Mexico, I have had a lot to consider about the choices concerning the school that I attend, the length of time I stay, and choosing the homestay over other housing options. I chose the homestay option with the belief that it would be the easiest way to spend my time here in Mexico. After meeting others that are attending my school who had not chosen the homestay, I began to question whether or not I had made the correct choice. Some of my friends are posted-up in the hotel that the school recommends, and some other of my peers are living in the student residence (which I didn't even know existed, probably because of my late sign-up).
Beginning my second week in Playa del Carmen - I am excited to continue with my Spanish lessons! We get a new teacher each week, and my new teacher pushes us really hard to speak only in spanish which makes a big difference.
I have been in Playa del Carmen for exactly one week now. The week has flown by, and I'm amazed by how quickly I became comfortable here in Mexico. Yesterday, I took a tour with some of my new friends to Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is about two hours from Playa del Carmen, and is one of the new 7 wonders of the world. It was interesting to see the cenote, which is where the Mayans sacrificed people to the gods. A cenote is a naturally occurring sinkhole that occurs in porous rocks. The riviera maya is primarily made up of limestone, which is very porous. Due to this, cenotes are very common.
Ramadan, the 9th month of the Muslim calendar, is celebrated by roughly 98% of Moroccans. Every Muslim is expected to fast, which means abstaining from food, drink and some other activities during the daylight hours. Ramadan dates change every year since the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle. This fasting, known as “sawm,” makes traveling and/or studying abroad in Morocco during August to September a bit difficult for non-Muslims visiting the Arab nation. However, after visiting I believe the pros certainly outweigh the cons.
One afternoon we got to have a meeting with a real shaman! It turns out she also worked as a Registered Nurse and a massage therapist. And there I was expecting this witch to come in with a cape or something. But she was really sweet and gave us an explanation of the three types of work she does: the first one is reading of our cocoa leaves, the 2nd involves an egg, and the 3rd a guinea pig (cuy).
Here is a short list of tips based on my first month here that I thought everyone might find helpful for French study in Lyon!
Eating: Eat well! This may be entirely obvious to most people, but it wasnʼt to me. During my first couple weeks here, I lived by the motto “if Iʼm only going to be here a short time, I should be able to eat whatever I want!” When you travel, though, your diet changes so much. I didnʼt realize that my diet would even change that much! I didnʼt realize I could even gain weight (Iʼm pencil thin, and Iʼve never been on a diet). Eat fruits and veggies! Eat healthy food! Donʼt eat croissants every spare chance you can get! I started to get sick a few weeks in (I think because of my diet), and Iʼm now still trying to figure out how to eat well in Lyon. You can do it, but donʼt think it will come naturally.
Seoul is such a busy city that it's hard to find yourself with nothing to do. However, if you are ever stuck I recommend spending the day at one of the MANY museums. There are museums dedicated to anything and everything, including art, history, the olympics, and even the popular Korean food kimchi.
This summer, guest blogger Niki W. participated in the Junior Immersion program for teens in Heredia and had a blast! Here is a video she took during a cooking demonstration at her school.
How wonderful would it be to learn about traditional Brazilian food while studying Portuguese in Brazil? Our weekly "Portuguese and Bahian Cuisine" course allows you to do both of these things and more while staying in the lovely city of Salvador!
From September 18 through October 3rd, the world-famous Oktoberfest celebrations take over the city of Munich, Germany: the city's mayor taps the first keg and then people from around the world raise their steins in unison and enjoy some of Germany's finest beer!
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