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Know Before You Go – Kayla Allen

I'm sort of a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of girl. I've planned trips on a spur of the moment and figured out where I was going to stay and what I was going to do when I got there; and had a blast I might add. I do have to say however that the more I've traveled the more I've come to realize that a little research beforehand can go a long long way in making your trip as fun as you'd hoped it would be.

I would never go so far as to plan a trip down to the day-by-day, but weekly, and certainly making sure especially for international travel that all your proverbial ducks are in a row. Case in point, without a bit of research some unlucky north American travelers may soon find the doors to Canada and Mexico closed for them if they don't bring along their passports. Let that be a theoretical lesson to you non-planners!

Good Questions to Ask Yourself & Then Find the Answers To
* Do I need a Passport? From now on, if you're leaving the country, the answer will always be: YES. Here you may find additional information on travel documents.

* Will I need a Visa? This is very dependant on where, how long and what your going for. A good place to find the answer is here. Calling your destinations embassy is also a good way to settle this question. "How do I contact an embassy?" you ask yourself, by clicking here, that simple.

* Do I need any vaccines, antibiotics or other medications? Talk to a healthcare professional for this one.

* Is where I'm going safe? In today's world it's a very valid questions. Get the answers here, but don't stop there. Get first hand accounts from people who've been there. There are plenty of blog sites where you can find just what you're looking for, here's a couple, 1 and 2.

* How am I going to get there? Most likely the answer is: FLY, and with so many options for airfare, here are a few that may come in handy. A resource from AmeriSpan, here. Continental has provided me with good flights to both Costa Rica and Guatemala. Until my dying day I will remain a loyal fan of www.priceline.com so I always give them a try for good measure, making sure to use the "name your own price" option.

* What should I pack? Check the weather beforehand so you don't over or under-pack. Here area some great options regarding luggage.

* Where will I stay? Travel books offer some great options. If you're on a budget, the great thing about hostels is, they're cheap, so go to www.hostelworld.com.

If you're going to a country and don't speak the language, learn it! Want to kill two birds with one stone? Become worldly, learn the native language and stay with a native family. Communication and accommodation, two of the most difficult things about traveling, take care of them both at www.amerispan.com. AmeriSpan also has some great resources here.

* What about money? For conversion rates www.oanda.com is the place to go. For global ATM locations.

* What am I going to do once I get there? Travel books have some great ideas and two in particular that do a great job of detailing options, making sure you're not overlooking must see things and just giving a great overview of your selected destination...drum-roll please... Footprint and Lonely Planet guides top my list.

* Any more questions? No? Good, then leave the rest up to whim, serendipity and how long your money holds out.

If you do have more questions, get more answers here.

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- Using a Cell Phone Overseas by Connie Marianacci

Travel abroad and stay in touch; the easiest and most convenient option is to have a cell phone. In most cases the simple combination of an international unlocked GSM cell phone and International SIM card will offer the best deal including rates, international coverage, and dependability.

What type cell phone do I need overseas (and why!)?
Just so you know the names, in the US our cell phone service is either CDMA type (Verizon and Sprint), or perhaps TDMA or even iDEN (Nextel) or AMPS, or GSM (T-Mobil and Cingular). You don't want to know what these acronyms stand for and you don’t need to know.

Internationally, most countries – more than 205 at last count - use GSM wireless service. So if you plan to go travel and want the convenience of carrying a cellular phone, then you’re going to need a GSM cell phone.

Can I (Should I) rent a cell phone?
GSM cell phones can be rented for typically $29-$59/week with per minute charges ranging from $1.50-$5/minute, for incoming and outgoing calls. If you travel infrequently (once every 2 years) and your stay is less then a week then this may be the best option even with the outrageous per minute costs. With most study abroad programs lasting 3-months or longer this is usually not the most economical solution.

Will my US cell phone work overseas?
T-Mobile and Cingular operate GSM networks in the United States and as a subscriber on one of these networks you may already have a GSM world phone. In this case you can simply take your current phone overseas and start calling. However be advised that this solution is not for the typical student budget. While roaming in another country you can expect to pay $1 to $5/minute in roaming surcharges for all of your calls. These charges can add up especially when you use your phone abroad as much as you do at home.

How can I travel with a cell phone on the cheap?
To really use a cell phone abroad like you do at home and not need the salary of an investment banker, you will want to purchase your own GSM cell phone and a local prepaid SIM. This is the option Amerispan recommends to students who study abroad.

Unlike typical cell phones in the US, GSM world cell phones do not come with phone numbers programmed into them and the actual service is not even tied to the phone itself. Instead customers activate their mobile phones by popping in so-called SIM cards, little thumbnail sized devices that determine your cell phone number and any additional services like voicemail.

A pre-paid SIM card for each country you visit, gives you a local phone number and local calling rates are usually a low 25 cents/minute. It is easy, convenient, and relatively inexpensive for you to call other people in the country you’re visiting, and easy and normal for them to call to you on your local number, too. Best of all, Incoming calls are FREE regardless of where they originate (So there is no excuse for not taking that call from home!!!).

Swapping out the SIM cards (they usually snap or slide into the back of the GSM phone – no engineering degree required) is a snap, literally and as they are prepaid you never have a monthly bill, or contract.

You can replenish your airtime on the SIM card by purchasing an airtime voucher in one of the local currency denominations. They are available at most newsstands, kiosks and convenience stores. The airtime vouchers are scratch cards that have a pin code which you simply key into your phone for immediate credit.

In summary, with a prepaid cell phone you have a cost effective way of staying in touch with no bills, no roaming charges and no hassles.

What do I need?
1) An international unlocked GSM cell phone
2) An international SIM card

For additional information find Telestial here where you may also purchase what you need.

SOURCE:
Telestial

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By Elizabeth Gregory

One of the best ways to experience the culture of a country or to add to your vacation is through good dining experiences. However, experiencing the local food need not be at a huge expense. There are a few tips that will help the budget conscious traveler without sacrificing the goal of experiencing the local cuisine. There are a lot of smaller restaurants to be found where the food is just as good (sometimes better) than in a fancy establishment. Here are some suggestions to dining out abroad (and anywhere for that matter).

Read guidebooks' suggestions on good places to eat. I've found a lot of gems in the Let's Go series that are nice restaurants at a very budget friendly price. How does a 7 course Indian meal in Montreal sound for under $15 per person? Although the name of the restaurant escapes me, it was a very cozy place with great staff.

Scout out bakeries, cheese shops and more to get lunch on the go, or to make your own picnic. Even supermarkets can have a great selection of gourmet food at a less expensive price. My friend and I did this in Paris. We would stop at local bakeries and cheese shops to buy a baguette, some cheese, maybe some ham to make sandwiches. One day we really lucked out and found a bakery that sold mini Quiche Lorraine. We each bought one and took our lunch to the nearby Luxembourg Gardens where we had a nice relaxing picnic. Lunch was only $5 a piece including something to drink.

Ask for fixed price menu. I've been able to eat at restaurants in France and Spain under the fixed price option for under $20. This usually includes 3 courses (appetizer, entrée, dessert) and one beverage. Several "upscale" restaurants offer this option. (It's not often widely advertised, so it pays to ask).

Ask the locals. Nobody knows good places to go better than the locals. If you're staying at a hotel, ask the desk clerk or the concierge. In a homestay, ask the family where their favorite place to go is.

Mix it up. Nobody says if you're in Italy you have to eat Italian food everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some countries have great ethnic diversity in their restaurant offerings. Take advantage of that.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I will admit that in a pinch I've wound up at McDonalds and Burger Kings for lunch (in Spain, it's one of the few things open during siesta). And hey, when you're stuck on a 6 hour layover on an international flight back from Europe, you can always find them in the airport.

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By Elizabeth Gregory

Although I typically travel to foreign countries where I speak the language (or know that there are many English speakers nearby), on occasion I have found myself in places where it has proven difficult to communicate. Here are some helpful hints to getting by in a place where you don’t speak the language but still need to communicate:

Know before you go:

• Simple phrases like "hello", "excuse me", "please", "thank you", "how much", etc. make a huge difference and usually people are nicer to you if they see you're not understanding but are making an effort to try a few words.
• How the money system works (in other words denominations of coins, etc). Not all countries have a number printed on the coin (hello, US). You'll be better off figuring it out in advance than having someone try to explain something you won't understand anyway.
• Where you will be staying. If possible have the address printed out on a piece of paper so you can show it to any taxi driver and politely smile.

• Picture cards – I've seen this in travel stores. Basically it's a laminated piece of plastic about the size of a placemat. There are all kinds of pictures on it (fruits, vegetables, types of meat, etc.). Although I don't know anyone who has tried this, it seems like a good idea.
• Small phrase book – these are very useful and if you don't want to embarrass yourself trying to speak the language you can always point to the particular phrase in the book.
• When in doubt act it out. I've heard and experienced so many cases of this overseas. You'd be amazed at how much quicker you can get your point across with some mime skills included.

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By Elizabeth Gregory

Some of the most memorable moments abroad for me come from when I really got out there and dug myself into the local culture. Sure it's fun to sightsee, but being a tourist isn't always the best way to get an accurate picture of the true slice of life in a foreign country. Today's blog from me is one of those moments.

During my semester in Spain, a few of us girls decided to attend a professional soccer game. I can't even remember what team Granada was playing. What I can remember is the fact that it was football season back home and the thought of attending a sporting event as popular as American football seemed to make us a little less homesick. I must admit though, for me, nothing beats football back home.

Anyway...about 6 of us headed down to the stadium. We lucked out. It turned out that one day a week was Ladies' Day (we got in for half price). We quickly discovered that this was a marketing ploy to attract more females to watch the game in person. I think we saw 2 other girls in the entire stadium. Most of the spectators were old men. Although I don't regularly watch soccer, I knew enough from when I used to play to follow the game pretty well. Early into the game, our focus turned away from the field and towards the old men in the stands (especially in our section). This was due to the fact that after every play, they would curse, swear, holler at, and insult the mother of every player on the field. It really didn't matter if anyone made a good play, basically if a goal was not scored by Granada, a series of profanities would ensue. I learned more Spanish curse words that day. I felt bad for the players though. At first they looked bound and determined to show these men that they were great athletes. However, as the game went on, they began to play sloppy and looked very discouraged.

We left before the end of the game, afraid of what potential riot could follow a loss (or victory). After all, who hasn't heard horror stories of people being stampeded to death at soccer matches in Europe (England especially)? We went to dinner together that night and reflected on how much we learned that day. When we thought things through, it wasn't all that different than any other sporting event, just much more cursing, and much less cheering.

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By Sue Lavene

One of the best ways to become really familiar with a country is through its people. To make your trip even more fulfilling and to broaden your experience, one way to expand on that might be to stay with a local family wherever you will be based. If you are taking language, cooking or dance classes or just want to travel around a particular city using that city as your hub, you might want to consider staying with a local host family instead of at a Bed & Breakfast, hotel or hostel, at least for part of your trip.

When people travel abroad, even though they expect things to be different from the way things are at home, I don't feel that we always know what exactly WILL be different, especially in terms of those subtle differences in culture and the realities of everyday living. We bring with us certain attitudes, beliefs and expectations that sometimes get in our way of having a positive experience and we do ourselves a disservice.

I've had several opportunities so far to stay with host families during my travels abroad. For me, they were all very positive experiences; however, as different as there are people, so are these experiences.

So, I would like to discuss what to expect of a homestay experience as well as how to better prepare yourself, if that's the type of lodging option you choose for your trip. Here are some things to think about to get you started:

Realistic Expectations: This set of beliefs is probably one of the most important guidelines to be pondered because of its impact on the outcome of a person''s trip as well as being a challenging one to change. It can either make or ruin one's time in a country. Since your expectations are ripened over time, it is often times very difficult to change them but not impossible as long as you are open to it. Do yourself a favor: Make a commitment to expand your inner world in attempt to balance your expectations.

Meals: This is a difficult and often frustrating subject for travelers, especially those from the US since we (myself included) typically are accustomed to preparing and eating such large portions at home. Go to any restaurant at home and you're likely to have lots of leftover food for another meal or two or perhaps, you eat the whole platter.

Not necessarily the case abroad. In fact, our clients often report coming away from a meal still hungry. The reality of the meal situation is that some host families try to accommodate their guests by feeding them like they are accustomed in larger portions; however, other families serve meals as they would eat themselves, sparingly and more healthfully in terms of quantity ingested.

Family Interaction: What I have found most frustrating for our clients in this category is that the more extroverted ones crave lots of family interaction while some of our more reserved clients enjoy having their own space in which to explore alone. Neither scenario is better. It just is what it is. Some host families are more outgoing, enjoying spending the time with their guests, often inviting them out for a bite or along on a family outing. However, the reality is that not all families are as enthusiastic about having guests or are more reserved themselves, preferring more time alone with their own family.

For those of us who enjoy having alone time in between our activities and mealtimes, a private room provides just that, the ability to come and go respectfully, with your own set of house keys. We have our own space in which to relax and renew without interruption. There are host families for this type of student. On the other hand, for those clients who enjoy interacting as much as possible with their hosts, sharing the main areas of the house with them, there are other host families who are more friendly and outgoing.

When deciding to stay with a host family, it's really important for you to list your choices for a type of host family, stating whether you would like family interaction or a quiet, peaceful environment.

Family Demographics: As different as there are people, there are that many family types out there. You can be assigned to a typical host family with mother, father and children, a widow without children, a single mother with small children, a couple without children or with children who live elsewhere, etc. As you can see, there are lots of varieties of families. So, if you would prefer a particular type of experience, you should make sure to ask for it.

Although this type of lodging definitely has many benefits in terms of what you can get out of it, it is not for everybody. Unless you purposefully set out to experience it, there's little you can do to know in advance whether you will like it. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and hope for the best. However, before you decide to venture out, you might want to prepare yourself mentally as much as you can for what can potentially be the experience of a lifetime.

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You've heard it more than once - travelers desribing their time spent living with a local family as either the best or the worst part of their trip! In spite of everyone's definitions of "best" and "worst", it is agreed that the homestay experience makes a strong impact on the student traveler's view the a new culture. Some people love their host families because of how different the family's culture is from their own. Others love their host families because the host family treats them the same as their own family. Some enjoy the constant interaction. Some enjoy the independence. For as many different travelers as there are in this world, there are probably an equal number of reasons why people fall in love with their homestay experience.

So, who are these familes that choose to accept foreign students into their homes? They are often your typical, middle-class family who has space in their home and an interest in cultural awareness. Often in Spanish-speaking cultures they include more of the extended family than what is typical in North American homes. For example, many households in Latin cultures include members of four generations; it is not uncommon for cousins or aunts and uncles to be part of the household as well. Other host families may consist of a couple who does not have children of their own or whose children are grown and out of the home. Homestay families come in all different shapes and sizes, and each offers a truly unique experience for the traveler.

Now we know who these families are. What motivates them to do such a thing as welcome strangers from another country into their home? The answers to that question are as varied as the reasons a stranger would choose to join a foreign family for weeks at a time. Some families are eager to create an exchange opportunity for their own children. For some families, hosting provides a significant source of income. For many, it comes down to a basic appreciation of different places, peoples and cultures. Maybe your family has hosted international students at one time; maybe friends or neighbors that you know have done the same. Most certainly, they all have their own stories to tell. Who are these families you ask? They are people who want to share what they have to make an intercultural experience possible for someone else. No amount of money can fully reimburse families for accepting strangers into their homes. Hosting is no ordinary job. The families may be ordinary people, but for travelers, they make extraordinary experiences possible!

After all is said and done, how can you ensure that you have the best experience possible while living with your host family? Basically, be flexible, be sensitive, be yourself. If that's not specific enough for you, here are some tips for successful homestay experiences:

• Bring pictures of family, friends, your house, a map of where you live. These can be used to start discussions.
• If interaction with the family is important to you, take the initiative to spend time with them. They will follow your lead.
• It's OK to make mistakes with the language! Your host family does not expect you to speak perfectly, and they can become excellent teachers if you let them.
• Absolute beginners - you'll be amazed how much you can communicate when you're creative. Play charades!
• Ask questions. It shows interest, and the answers may be more interesting than you expect.
• Your host family is just that - a family. They are not a tour company, available at your disposal. However, they are a valuable resource for advice on places to explore.
• Remember what your parents told you: "Try one bite!" It won't kill you to try something new, and if you don't like it you don't have to finish it.
• Treat your family with respect.
• Discuss your concerns regarding issues like telephone use, meal routines and visitors. It's the only way to find out what your family expects.
• When in doubt, take the conservative approach in discussions. Know what topics are inappropriate to discuss with your family. These may include religion and politics.
• Be patient with yourself and the new culture.
• Put aside self-consiousness and have fun! There is much to learn and many friends to be made while abroad.

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Everyone has experienced various degrees of miscommunication at some time. Maybe you thought that someone had said something different than what they were trying to say, or maybe you were not successful in getting your point across to someone who did not speak the same language as you or at the same level of fluency as you did. This is a natural occurrence periodically in life. Experience has taught me that the miscommunications and misinterpretations that occur between native and non-native language speakers can be the most confusing in the moment, but they are also many times the most amusing (sometimes even hysterical) in retrospect. Anyone who has ever seen the movie Lost in Translation knows what I’m talking about.

Granada, Spain – What did she say?
Every Tuesday afternoon during my semester in Spain, a good friend of our host mother’s would come for lunch. My roommate and I never knew this woman’s name, so we secretly referred to her as "the friend". The strange part about "the friend" is that neither my roommate nor I could understand one single word this woman said. She didn’t mumble or have any kind of difficulty speaking, and she was speaking in Spanish. I really am convinced that it was just her voice (very high pitched and very nasal) that made it difficult to understand. We had to try so hard not to laugh through lunch because every week it was the same scenario. "The friend" would ask us a question. We would look at Maria (our host mother) with a blank stare. Maria would then translate (I assume verbatim) what "the friend" had asked. We would answer and on and on it went. Despite four months of Tuesday lunches with "the friend", we never did get any better at understanding her. Lucky for us, this was an isolated case as our overall Spanish skills improved tremendously during our time in Spain.

Prague, Czech Republic – Playing Charades
My brother, plagued with allergies, found himself surrounded in every hotel by feather pillows and down comforters. He was staying in mostly smaller hotels that did not have staff with strong English speaking skills. At first, he did not want to make a big deal and be the ugly American yelling at the housekeeping staff in English for "NOOOOO FEA-THER PILL-OWS." So he kept quiet, until the third night where he could not stand the allergy attacks any longer. The maid came to the room and he got a pillow off the bed, gave it to her and proceeded to shake his head no violently while flapping his arms and clucking like a chicken. After a few attempts at trying to get his point across with no visible response, he gave up and started fake sneezing. The maid finally caught on to what point he was trying to make, and gave him a non-feather pillow. This technique worked throughout his trip in Europe. Finally, he did stay in a larger hotel and proceeded with the standard reenactment as usual. He was very embarrassed when they asked him in English, "Why don’t you just tell us you are allergic to feathers?"

Frankfurt, Germany – Who’s Alice?
It was my first day in a beginner German class. The class consisted of myself, a girl from Japan and two boys (one from Russia and the other from Turkey). The teacher was a native German speaker. The class was conducted entirely in German. I was clueless for most of the class until the end, or so I thought. At the end of class, I thought I was starting to get the gist of what was being said. The teacher started with a long list of examples (I will translate from German from where I thought I was starting to understand).

"And you know, if it’s this way, then Alice will be this way, and if this happens, then Alice will do that." This went on for the last few minutes of class. She kept talking about all kinds of things that Alice could do. I sat in utter confusion wondering to myself "Did I miss something? Who’s Alice?" I looked at my notes since I wrote down the teacher’s name (Katarina) as soon as she said it. "OK, I thought. She’s not Alice. The Japanese girl isn’t Alice, she just called her by name. Wait! Does she think my name is Alice? Who is this Alice person? The character in the story we just read was Hans. What is she talking about?"

Class finally ended, and I left shaking my head knowing how confusing and frustrating the next 2 weeks would be. I trudged back to my host family and decided to ask my host mother a simple question to try and make some sense out of everything. "Was beduetet Alice?" (Translation: "What does Alice mean?") My host mother looked at me and said in English "it means – everything." I started laughing and couldn’t stop. I felt so stupid. I explained to her what transpired in class. We both had a good laugh at that one. That night, I re-told the story to my dad who had taken years of German in school. "Come on, Elizabeth," he said "It’s pronounced ahl-less not Alice." Whatever, dad. I’m still sticking to the fact that it sounds like Alice with a German accent!

By Elizabeth Gregory

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There is so much more meaning to a message than what exists in the spoken/written word. For example, if a person says, “You know, Barbara, I really like you” it will have different meanings depending on if it is said by/to a man or a woman, in a work environment or a bar. Eye contact, physical distance, relationship between the speaker and listener, context, the tone of voice, and the stress put on certain words are all aspects of the message which give meaning to the words being said. In fact, these factors can provide much more meaning than the words themselves. Sarcasm is a perfect example of how non-linguistic aspects of communication relay meaning. If a friend says to me, “Gee, I can’t wait to vote in the upcoming election”, the way I interpret that message will be based upon my knowledge of my friend’s political views, the situation with the current campaign, and my ability to understand the meaning behind the tone of voice.

Our ability to interpret such cues is subconsciously developed through our process of socialization. The meanings that we attach to certain non-verbal aspects of communication seem inherent to us. Our interpretation of these cues just comes naturally. Now take into consideration that every culture has its own set of cultural cues that each member of that culture understands. It’s easy to see how a person from Culture A and a person from Culture B may interpret the very same words in totally different ways. Here are some examples:

When Sarcasm Means Sincerity
Marsha thought things were going well with her new French friends, particularly Bertrand. He continually invited her to interesting and fun events, but he was constantly making fun of her. One day at an art exhibit, while looking at a particularly abstract piece, Marsha says that she cannot understand what the artist was trying to express. Bertrand smiles and responds, “Yes, I’m afraid French art is far too advanced for Americans to comprehend.” Marsha was desperate; she really liked him and could not figure out what she was doing to cause his constant teasing, so she asked her host mother about it. “My dear,” the host mother told her, “this means that he really likes you. In France, when someone feels comfortable enough to tease you, that means that you have been welcomed as an intimate friend.”

When Now Doesn’t Mean Now
Joshua, an American student in Heredia, Costa Rica, called his Costa Rican intercambio partner to meet for coffee. When he asked what time they should meet, the response was “Nos encontramos ahora en el parque.” For Joshua (and the dictionary), “ahora” literally means “now.” So, he grabbed his jacket and headed straight to the park where he sat on a bench and waited for over half an hour. His friend arrived without the least sign of repentance for being late. After discussing the matter with his Spanish teacher, Joshua learned that in Costa Rica, “ahora” means sometime within the hour. And, if you are meeting a friend someplace like the park, it is expected that it is no problem for one or the other person to wait for a while because you will spend some nice time sitting in the park, probably running into some other friends, or meeting someone friendly also sitting on a bench.

When Yes Doesn’t Mean Yes
Many business people have experienced this frustrating scenario in Japan. Sarah, a young businesswoman from New York, was sent to Japan to close a big deal for her company. While giving her pitch, she became more and more sure of the sale because her Japanese counterparts continually nodded their heads as she spoke. When she finished, she thought the deal was made and asked when they would like to sign the contract. She was shocked when she was told that they were not yet sure if they wanted to make the deal or not. What Sarah did not know is that in Japan, nodding of the head does not necessarily mean yes as it does in the U.S. It can also mean “Yes, I am listening and understanding what you are saying."

These stories provide just a few examples of how language skills are simply not enough to achieve effective communication in another culture. To get the most out of your international learning experience, focus on gaining cross-cultural skills as well as linguistic ones. Cross-cultural skills will enable you to:
1) Understand how culture effects communication (your own and that of others)
2) Deal with behaviors that, to you, seem strange or annoying
3) Learn from your cultural adaptation process
4) Communicate more effectively.

These skills will also help you in your pursuit to learn a new language. After all, language is a reflection of the culture from which it developed.