Back to Everyday Life

Well, obviously I made it back home.  It was a long day of travel, that is for sure.  There was a 2.5 hour bus ride, 5 airports, 4 airplane rides and one about an hour and 15 minutes drive home.  I was really worried about having enough time to catch my plane in Newark but there was plenty of time.  I had Sunday off to recoop but was back to work and school on Monday.  My boss was nice enough to bring in pizza so I could tell everyone about my trip.  My animals missed me I think, my cat I was worried as he holds grudges but he got over it first, my dog just yesterday started warming back up to me.  I didn't suffer jet lag so that was great!  I appreciate towels or hand dryers in bathrooms so much now!  I don't think I will want to go on any trips any time soon that will require that long of a flight, just short ones for a while...I loved my time in Spain, it was a wonderful experience, I will never forget it that is for sure but there really is no place like home...  Adios!
Chantelle

Last Post From Salamanca Spain

Well in 2 hours we need to be at the bus stop.  Then we will be on our way to Madrid to catch a plane to Lisbon.  Jorge told us tonight that there was almost a snag in our departure.  Apparently the air control people were going to go on strike at 6 am on Saturday.  So they had thought about us taking off Friday at 4:30, sure glad it all worked out, that would have been too much stress on me!
Last classes today, got my certificate, got all B's so I am very happy, worried that my GPA was going to be messed up and my honor's would be messed up too.  We had a going away lunch at Erasmus today, it was a type of BBQ, there were A LOT of meats, bacon(not our kind), like a pork steak, chorizo, and a couple of other kinds, salad and french fries.  It was a lot of food!!  I got a short siesta in today as I don't know when I will sleep again, not much of a plane sleeper so we shall see.  Our going away dinner was at a fancy place tonight, with many courses.  Dessert was great but the best part was they brought in I can't remember the name of them here in Spain but like a Mariachi band, they were so good!!  I wish they would have played all night!  After they finished and left, a member of our group Fernando sang a beautiful song for us too, he has quite the voice!  It was a great evening, many laughs were shared, tears were shed and lots of pictures were taken.

I won't be writing here until I get back to the states, I think I will post a few more about acclimating back into everyday life.  And of course I will go thru my pics and see what else will be good for sharing!
See ya in the States!

Chantelle

Ultimo Examen are finished!!!

Took my last final today, in grammar.  Wasn't as painful as I was expecting so I probably did really bad on it... Got all my tests back now except that one.  Not too bad considering... I figured I would be failing and so far don't think I am...Only 2 days left of school.  We come home on Saturday, we have to be up at the bus stop at 4:15 am.  Won't be going to bed Friday, we have our going away dinner, I figure that will go til midnight so will have about 4 hours to finish up packing maybe relax a little and lug my suitcases down all the stairs...  Got another suitcase today so I can start packing my souvenirs, so glad for that, another worry gone!  I have enough euros left to get ice cream both Thursday and Friday and have a few small coins to bring home which is just what I wanted.  There is a bag calling my name and some earrings and I really did want another pair of shoes but will have to wait and see what kind of room I still have in my suitcase.  There is a Yves Rocher store here so I want to go check that out see if they sell my perfume and how much if so that will be neat!  Well gonna start packing to come home, see ya later!
Chantelle

Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor all lit up, breathtaking!  It really is a Plaza Mayor!!

I didn't upload these in the order I should have so I apologize they are all mixed up.  The first one is one of the unique houses I saw in Portugal, 2nd is a business in Portugal, they have such pretty one of a kind homes, I didn't get a picture of the one I really wanted as there were people standing outside of it and I didn't want to upset them but they are really pretty!  Next one is along the boardwalk in Aveiro Beach, next pretty amazing building in Madrid, beautiful huh?  Next 2 are Aveiro Beach again, the Atlantic Ocean.  Next one is in Madrid, these were atop of a building across from the street we got unloaded from when we arrived in Madrid, next is the Espana flag waving tall and bright.  The next one was along my bus tour in Madrid, don't know what it is but thought it to be beautiful so I took a pic!  The next one shows the building from the statue few pics ago with the fountain in the view.  The lion statue is outside of the building of Congress from what I understand.  The next one was just an interesting building along our walk, it looks as though the top of the building in rusty, it was really a fascinating building!  The next 2 are sculptures outside of the Reina Sofia in Madrid, the second one is a replica(I think) of something I saw on the floor with the Picasso work.  The next one is a tree in Portugal, they line the streets with them, they don't even look real to me!  Next one is street art in Madrid, real people or statue??  You decide!  The last one is terribly exciting, just a pic of the tour bus I went on for the day, best 20 euros I spent!!

Chantelle

Catch up ...

Been a while since I posted thought it was time to get caught up.  Well we went to visit the Civil War Archives and I think I was most fascinated by a piece of art that was a bunch of teeny(and I do mean teeny) photos put together to make something else.  It was AMAZING!  Friday was a sad day for us, we had to say goodbye to Amna, our new friend from Kuwait, she was only able to stay for 3 weeks so as a send off for her Shanna, Dan and I went to Valor with Amna for Chocolate y churros.  It was really good but sad all the same.  Amna was so nice she gave each of us a piece of paper money from her country.  They have coins too but some of the bills are 1/4 and 1/2's, very interesting!!  Saturday was full of adventure!  We went to Madrid.  It was a HOT day, not one for walking all around the city, I however took a bus tour all over the city and enjoyed myself immensely.  We stopped to eat our lunch and there was a homeless man with a cat(that reminded me of my cat Fami who I am missing) sitting outside of the McDonalds that we used the bathrooms at, I had to give one of my sandwiches to him, I hope he shared it with the kitty.  After lunch we went to the Reina Sofia museum and saw amazing works by many  but I of course was most fascinated by Picasso's work, Guernica was fantastic I had no idea it was so large!  Sunday, wow, after being in Madrid and not getting back til late in the evening Saturday we had to be on the bus Sunday morning at 7 am for Portugal, Aveiro Beach.  The scenery was beautiful but the bus ride was long.  The beach was very large but it was windy all day.  Aveiro Beach is a place that is very breathtaking.  The houses are one of a kind.
Monday, my first final of 4.  Very angry with myself, never had test anxiety before but had it today.  Such an easy question and I didn't get it until I turned in my test , it was a total give me and I gave it up...  Hope I don't do that anymore but thinking I will do it 3 more times...
I need to study for my 2 finals for tomorrow.   My computer is about to die so I will post pictures later.
Adios!
Chantelle

Tuesday Night June 19th

Had a fun day of classes, first class we had to write a day in someones diary, pretty interesting!  Class 2 we talked about where you would go in Spain to talk with friends, chat with coworker, grab a quick meal etc..., 3rd class was not too bad, I actually understood some again today, good thing too as I understand some of this is on the final, I am worried about this class, 70% of my grade is based on the final and it is a TON of information!!  Class 4 we listened to a story, shared what we got out of it and then we read the story, understood so much more then.  Then we picked out similars and opposites in the story from choices written on the sheet, I actually figured out a few without needing the dictionary for all of them, I am pretty impressed with myself!
Got some more souvenir shopping done, feel good about that.  Some advice, don't sit under a tree, you know what will happen, yep again today, this makes it the 3rd time in Spain, once on my leg, once on my shoe and tonight in my hair.  I have now passed Destiny and she doesn't want to catch up because she says I can have this one, thanks so much Destiny!!!  Well it is late and there is another day of school tomorrow so I will say Buenas Noches!

Chantelle

Free weekend has come to a close ...

Well it was nice while it lasted but back to the grind tomorrow.  Our dinner was suppose to be served late tonight as there was a game playing so Shanna and I decided to try a new place, as we were strolling we came across Denise, Lauren and Lorena chatted a while and Denise and Lorena came with us for dinner.  We went to a pasta place in the Plaza Mayor,  the pasta was good.  Afterwards we had to have some ice cream of course so tonight I got to try the hazelnut, to DIE for, it was scrumptious!  As we were walking back we went a little too far but got to see some more pretty buildings and they were lit up too as it was starting to get a little dark sure wish I would have had my camera on me...  Well it is late so talk soon!

Chantelle

Some shots around Salamanca

The first shots is with the frog on the skull, can you find it?  The next is just one of the many ice cream stops along the way in the Plaza Mayor, a lot of temptations!!!  The next shot is one of the University of Salamanca buildings, on the right is where I take my last class of the day.  The next 2 are just pretty buildings I wanted to share.  And the last is the decadent churros with chocolate.  Way too much!!!  But it was really really good, I guess no ice cream today...  As you can see the weather is beautiful, it is a fantastic day in Salamanca!!

Chantelle

Friday, June 15th

This is our free weekend, it started at 2pm.  Had a long lunch and looked at pictures that a girl from my classes she is from Kuwait and her dad have taken around Salamanca, they were very pretty!  Came back to the dorm with the intention of checking emails and then heading back out to find an ATM machine but my pillow was calling a little louder than my feet were to go out the door.  I ended up taking a late 1 1/2 hour siesta.  Then headed down to the Plaza Mayor for a performance that was suppose to happen tonight at 20:00 but for some reason didn't so we went to dinner instead.  Headed back to the dorms by 10pm as I was hoping to get a phone call from family, finally came 45 minutes after I was hoping but it came so I was excited.  I have been emailing but it is different to actually hear voices!  Tomorrow my goals are get some homework done(our bubbles were burst this week to find out we have finals in EVERY class the last week :(    )  get all my souvenir shopping done and hope to do a little work on our group project that is part of this experience, our group decided to do the impact of tourism on Salamanca.  We have some good ideas so I hope we can turn them into a great presentation.  Also hope to go with my camera tomorrow as I want a good picture of the frog that I got to see today, I want to share that with everyone!!  I also noticed a lot of new things tonight as I was walking to the Plaza tonight so I expect I will take some shots of the things that I hadn't noticed before. Well believe it or not I am exhausted so off to bed I go, so much for staying up late tonight!

Chantelle

June 13th

It was a little warmer today, hope it is good and warm tomorrow as I don't get my laundry back til tomorrow afternoon I am guessing.  Wish I would have packed some warmer stuff but I thought it would take up too much room and it is Spain for cripes sakes it should be warm!!  Had a really good lunch and dinner today, had to stop off for ice cream for dessert, I got Kinder which I think is a candy bar here, it was tasty!  Not a whole to write about today, yesterday we went and toured the cave in Salamanca and Calixto and a garden.  It was neat as there is a well that you wish into with your love and put a padlock above it and that is suppose to keep your love together forever, I thought that was very sweet.  The garden was very beautiful, there was music playing while we were there too.  They have lights in the ground so I am imagine what it looks like illuminated at night.

Chantelle

Various shots

The first two shots  are the aqueduct in  Segovia, the next is Devery, me and Cheez at the top of the aqueduct, the next is a group shot outside of Alcatraz, next is some live street art in Segovia, they were sitting on thin air, the last is one of the beautiful stanined glass windows in the castle, such detail, they were unbelievable!

Chantelle

Segovia and Avila Excursion

Wow!  The aquaduct is sooo amazing in person, it is hard to believe something like this can still be standing after 2000 years with nothing holding the stones together when you think about water coming thru you would think it would wash out the stones too.  I got some amazing shots but my camera battery died on me so I have to charge before I can load anything up and the internet isn't working so hot tonight again.  It was a very long and tiring day but a lot of fun!  For lunch I had something different, I was told this was a typical tortilla in Spain, not like the Mexican ones this is a sandwich on bread with like scrambled eggs and I was told potato even though I didn't taste any potato.  It was tasty.  We also visited Alcatraz which is a castle, the legend had it that this castle is what inspired Walt Disney for Sleeping Beauty's castle but this was later deemed false as it was a castle in Germany that in fact was the inspiration.  I got some really neat shots there too.  The weather was actually cool, I had to wear my sweatshirt for the first time since I got here, I took it off not long after we reached Segovia but I put it back on when we got to Avila, very windy.  I am getting a nice tan though!
When we got back it was almost time for dinner so when we had walked down to the bar that we eat all of our meals at the crowd was pretty big as there was a big "football" game going between Portugal and Germany, they are right next to each country but you root for Portugal all the way.  For dessert they gave us a beer because of the game, never been given a beer for dessert before.  Since I am not a beer drinker I passed it along to someone else.  Tomorrow night I am guessing it will be crazy in the streets as Spain is playing.

Well I think it is time for bed, I am wore out.

Bye
Chantelle

Friday Night

While most of the people are going out for the evening, I am staying in to do some homework and rewriting of notes.  We have to get up early tomorrow for our excursion to Segovia and Avila.  Can't wait I am looking forward to the Aqueduct!!  Did a little wandering around town finally!  Got some Euros finally and promptly did some shopping finally!  Could have easily bought more but wanted to pace myself and I have to recount how many people I wanted to bring home fans for.  They are so beautiful here!!  Well I have to get to bed soon, must rest!

Bye!
Chantelle

Feeling so refreshed!

Just enjoyed a nice shower after a long day of walking around and seeing sights.  We had class today and I was pretty much lost during most of it, my second class of the day I didn't understand anything until the end when she said tapas, THAT I understood!  Which reminds me, when I looked at my blog last night after posting I saw that a post I had made telling you what tapas are was not there soooo I will explain.  We went on a Tapas tour the other night.  This is what the Spaniards do for socializing.  They go out in the evening and bar hop, but it isn't like our bar hopping back in the states which the main purpose is to get drunk.  In Spain they go from bar to bar order 1 drink and get different tapas, which are pretty much like appetizers but really from what I saw they are quite large compared to a meatball on a stick.  Most of them we had were  served on a small piece of bread, one had shrimp and garlic, one a skewer with like chicken peppers and onion, one had  a piece of chorizo (which happened to be my favorite!) and then one served more like seafood stuff, calamari and I don't know what else, the last one we went to had jamon that they sliced right there in front of us.  So the people here use this time to socialize not really drinking, plus when you are eating food that helps you keep from drinking too much.  Anyways, it was a lot of fun!!
Today we had a cooking lesson at the restaurant that we had our welcome dinner, I tried one that had wild mushroom and a different kind of tomato than we have, they said it is less acidic, one person told me it is similar to a tomatillo, it was quite tasty.  Then we were off to a Art Deco museum, we weren't allowed to take pictures in the museum and I sure wish we could have it was beautiful.  The ceiling had a bunch of stained glass it was pretty from the outside but once you got in it was breath taking!  Upstairs the view of the city was unbelievable too!!

I am happy I have found a great place to buy water, it is right on my way home from the restaurant we eat our meals at so I can finally get the hydration I have been missing so much!!

Well I have some homework to do and research on the area we are going to for our excursion on Saturday so I know what I want to buy when I get there so I think I will sign off for now!

Bye!

Chantelle

Wednesday in Spain

Well todays classes went better than yesterdays, except for the fact that we got homework today.  After lunch which was a tasty kinda of lasagna type dish but much too skimpy for all the walking around you do here, we stopped for some gelato, I got the mojito, and it was just ok, don't think I would get it again but glad I tried it.  Tonight, excuse me this afternoon(it is not night until 21:30) we had a film to watch but it was all Spanish with no subtitles so I opted out to do some homework in the lobby of the hotel, didn't get a lot done but some any how.  Then we had a lecture on something, not sure what as again all Spanish and the room was soooo cold all I wanted to do was curl up and take a nap, sure glad I didn't fall off my chair!  Then the outing for the night was a visit to the Bull Fighting Museum.  The costumes are certainly beautiful and I understand it is the culture of Spain but I am not such a fan, as an animal lover I just can't.  What I did find interesting though is that only the bull fighter can wear a costume with gold on it, the people helping out are lower than him and are required to wear silver adornments.  Can't wait til Friday, we don't have any scheduled activities after classes and I plan on getting to a bank and finally converting some money to get some shopping done!!  I have already found some really cute things to bring back for family and friends (and me too! shoes!)  I think someone will be getting a purse, I think she knows who she is!  It is not a matter of need but want,  right?!  Well off to finish up homework, probably make another post tomorrow as we have a cooking lesson at a fancy restaurant tomorrow night.  Hope they show us how to make those yummy tapas we had the other night!

Chantelle

Salamanca

We arrived yesterday after a lot of flying.  I am still exhausted and trying to catch up on sleep.  The food is wonderful but way too much!!  We had a welcome dinner last night and then out to a couple of clubs.  Thought we knew our way back but didn't and were lost wandering the city til 3 am.  School starts tomorrow, have to take a placement exam to determine my level, I don't really need this test as I know I am one level below beginner.  I had chosen to stay with a host family and they are really nice, my room is nice my roommate is a nice young girl from Arizona but I think I need to be closer to the school, we are quite a walk to Plaza Mayor and then the school is beyond that.  I want to spend my time wandering the city getting to know it, not walking to and from school so much.  Not even to mention coming all the way back here for lunch and then heading back to Plaza Mayor for activities in the evenings.  I hope to make this switch tomorrow during the siesta.  So far I have seen a lot of shoe stores!  I may end up buying another bag and checking it with stuff to bring home, I had planned on mailing it but not sure yet what to do...

Chantelle

Today is the day!

Countdown is done and I will be on my way in a couple of hours.  Been so stressed the last couple of days, trying to pack, worrying about my family and animals, trying to get everything done, learning my camera.  Packing was fine til I tried to put everything I needed into my carry on, I was freaking out at midnight last night shifting, changing bags etc.  Ciara saved me with a small laptop bag so I was able to get it all in and underweight too!!  Can't wait til I get to the hotel tonight, then I can breathe!!

See ya soon Spain!
Chantelle

Down to 5 more days!

I am getting worried that I will forget something important...  I bought an adapter today, hope this one is the right one.  I got a book about Spain and a phrase book/dictionary combo.  I had some fun today getting a mani/pedi that my brother got me for Christmas, I have been saving it for right before I leave.  Tomorrow I will get my hair done and do some sandal shopping.  I have started to gather my stuff for packing, pulled out my suitcase and began a list of what to bring with me.  I have a lot to do and it doesn't seem like much time to get it done.  The radio asked yesterday if you had a swat team available for your use what would you have them do?  My answer would be divide and conquer, couple could pack my bags, couple could shop for the things I need yet, couple could clean my house, one could take my dog for a nice long walk and another could guard my bedroom door as I take a long nap...gotta remember to write down my phone number in Spain for family and friends... another thing added to my to do list.

Hope to tell you I find the right pair of sandals tomorrow!
Gotta get to bed now.

Chantelle

Chantelle Sundberg's Blog

Follow Chantelle Sundberg's Blog at http://www.chantellesundberg.blogspot.com/

8 more days!

I only have 8 more days til the adventure of a lifetime!  I found out who my host family is going to be and saw my class schedule.
I played around a little with my new camera, need to know how to work it that is for sure, much different than my old one. 
Tonight I hope to stop by Barnes and Noble and pick up a Spain book that is for me, hope I can find a good one!  Also may look for a book on New York but probably not since  I will only be there a day (some day I will go back there and enjoy the city properly!) I also want to find a book- English to Spanish dictionary or something for the things I need to know and to survive with!

Lots to do, I don't know how I am going to find the time to get it all done.  I think I may leave my computer at home and just use the computers available to me, this will make my load lighter both physically and emotionally right now, I won't have to worry about an adapter for my laptop...

Well that is it for the count down today, more this weekend, maybe by then I will have taken a picture with my camera and will post one on here to make sure I can figure it out...

Bye!
Chantelle

Summer Study Abroad - Salamanca, Spain

Chinou Vue, Devery Peterson and Chantelle Sundberg were awarded the Keith Sherin Global Leaders International Scholar Award  to study abroad this summer in Salamanca, Spain. The selection process was extremely rigorous and involved two separate panels of judges made up of higher education professionals from across the United States and Territories. 

While living in Spain, these students will earn 6 college credits as they attend the University of Salamanca and will be immersed in Spanish Language courses.   They will also be able to choose from a variety of courses such as Women’s Roles in the History of Spain, The Arab World in Hispanic Culture, Spanish and Latin American Cinema, and Spanish Language for International Business.

Chantelle will be blogging from Spain as an Honors Project. Stayed tuned for her exciting, in-depth blog about her study abroad experiences. 

Adventures in Belfast

I can finally say that I am getting my bearings around Belfast, and love it! Throughout the past couple weeks I have been meeting most of my flat mates, which all are from different countries! I am the only American on my floor, which I think is fabulous. I love talking to people from around the world, sharing different ideas, concepts, and just normal everyday routines.
The party/drinking scene is backwards here in Ireland. Most students who attend Queen’s are Northern Irish students, so every (or every other) weekend these students will go home. The major party nights in Belfast are basically Monday-Thursday! I have never seen so many people go out on a school/work night, its unbelievable! I can already tell that weekends are going to be my time to study for classes, considering no one is here on campus!

On Monday I experienced my first PUB CRAWL! Queen’s does a RAG week every semester, which includes the pub crawl. Just imagine a massive group of students in bright yellow shirts, roaming from pub to pub like cattle! For me it was a blast, and all the proceeds went to charity. What is better than being able to drink, have a great time with friends, and in the mean time raise money for charity? NOTHING! :)

I am still trying to get the Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Derry, and every other county’s accent down. Each accent is completely different than the next! I feel like a complete idiot having to ask somebody to repeat what they said more than twice, but some people cannot understand me! Most people will ask me if I am either Canadian, or Irish. The people of Ireland do not want to offend those that are Canadians, so they will never ask if you are American, the question will always be are you from Canada? I believe people in my modules, and tutorials get confused about where I am from. They believe I am Irish from the way I look, but as soon as I open my mouth every single head in that module turns!

Well I have a mound of reading to do, a mound of laundry, and a mound of mess in my room to clean up. I should probably get to those unnecessary, fun killing, boring tasks that are calling my name.

UNTIL NEXT TIME :)

Megan

As I sit here and wait for the Super Bowl to start, I find this the best time to catch everyone up on my adventures here in Belfast. For the past seventy-two hours our group was sent to Navan, a small town south of Belfast, for our home stay. Once we arrived, Jaime and I were informed that our home stay dad was taken to the hospital, so we were put into other homes. My home stay family consisted of Mary, Finbarr, and Bagiou. Mary and Finbarr a lovey couple, originally from Belfast, welcomed us into their home along with their dog Bagiou. As you all know, I have dogs back in Minnesota, who I miss dearly. Having a dog in the family just filled that empty void in my heart. One of the many things we were all anxious for was a home cooked meal, and boy did they spoil us everyday! The most spontaneous day of food was Saturday. Now, I don’t know if you all know what white/black pudding is, but I tried it and will never eat it again. White/black pudding is pigs blood, and the left over scraps of pig after they have been butchered. I also tried mussels, cockles, a type of fish (white) native to Ireland, and sting ray. My favorites by far were the mussels, and cockles; wish I could eat them everyday! Our Saturday activities included a trip to Dublin (which was amazing), and a visit to the scenic country side of Ireland.
Mary and Finbarr took us to a historic piece of land called The Hill of Tara. Known as Temair in Gaelic, was once the ancient seat of power in Ireland. One hundred and forty two kings are said to have resigned there in prehistoric and historic times. On a clear day you can see half the counties in Ireland from the top of Tara. Standing on top of Tara will be something I will never forget; the view of Ireland is absolutely outstanding from Tara. If you ever take a trip to Ireland, make sure you take the time and see The Hill of Tara; if you don’t you will regret it!
This is the second week of classes, and I am already stressed about the amount of studying I already have entailed! The class I am most worried about is Irish Politics, and this module is a two thousand level. So all the other students have been taking political classes much longer than I have, let alone they live in Ireland. Automatically I am at a disadvantage not knowing much about the political system, but I am determined to learn all I can. Coming from a philosophical point of view, I am very excited to hear the different ideas and concepts these students have on these topics. I find it very interesting learning new concepts from a different point of view, especially coming from other international/Irish students.
As of a few days ago, I have booked my ticket for spring break! At Queen’s we have a three week break for Easter/studying; mine will be used for traveling. So far a group of us will be flying to London, taking a train to Paris, and possibly stops in other countries. I am hoping I will be able to see Spain, specifically Madrid or Barcelona. I have a few friends studying in Granada, so a trip there is mandatory! Coming over here I was hoping I would be able to travel to every country I had in mind, but due to studying and exams I won’t be able to go everywhere, bummer. One stop I will be making for sure is to Scotland, from Belfast it is only about thirty minutes to the boarder.
In making my decision to study in Ireland was the fact that my ancestors have derived from Northern Ireland, as well as Scotland. Other than studying, and traveling, I will be working on my family’s genealogy. My uncle has done tremendous work so far, but he seems to be stuck at one ancestor. That’s when I come into play, I will be trying to find information about this certain fellow, and more information about my family. I will be on the hunt to find out more about the Thompson’s till the day I leave!
I started this blog before the Super Bowl came on, and I am now finishing it two days later. Which I must say one thing, the Super Bowl is not the same without the commercials. All the Americans were sitting watching the Super Bowl praying that we would get the commercials, and we did not see one! We got stuck with a BBC reporter talking with two Americans to explain the game of “American Football.” Every single play the reporter would ask what happened, and why that happened; talk about frustrating!
Anyways, I should probably get back to reading/studying. I had to take a break in order to keep all of you back home updated (mom and dad don’t be mad).

Until next time!!

Megan Thompson

Fellow Study Abroad Students

This is the group that I am with while in Northern Ireland, we come from all across the United States. Three of them are attending Ulster, while the rest of us are attending at Belfast. Could not ask for a better group of people to share such a life experience with!

Preparing for Queen's University Studies

For the past couple days, we have been learning about the great history of Northern Ireland. While on a black cab tour we visited dozens of murals painted in memory of those who were lost during the IRA battles. Many murals were painted in a way to show peace in the country, and recognizing those people who were involved in the hunger strikes. What truly amazed me is that these wars, and tragedies did not happen 500 years ago, but happened within the past twenty to thirty years. Our group was told once anybody in Northern Ireland hears our accent (meaning American), they automatically believe we are in favor of the IRA.

As for the flag, the green stands for the Irish Catholics, the orange for the Protestants, and the white in the middle symbolizing peace for the country. The amount of information I have learned over the past few days has astounded me. Not only does Northern Ireland have beautiful landscapes, castles, and friendly people but they are also very proud in the accomplishments they have achieved.

Now, let me talk about the cultural norms in Northern Ireland. First, drinking is looked at as a past time like football is in America. For the major days of drinking/parties on campus tend to be Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Most students will go home on the weekends, and do their studying then. The drinking age is 18, so it is extremely weird to see these young adults in the bar who don’t even look older than 16.

Second, their education system is completely different than ours in America. The biggest difference is that students who are sixteen years old will decide on their major and pursue specific courses from that point forward. After sixteen years old the students will be taking only classes that are geared towards their major, no generals. Over here in Northern Ireland they do not have homework. Their marks (grades) consist of only one essay, and the final exam. I believe this might be a challenge for me, considering I am used to doing homework every other day, and having deadlines. For as long as I can remember every college student in America has had to buy their books for classes. Which is not the case over here, students use the library to get their books.

Here are just a few slang words that are used frequently here:
Module - Class
Mark - Grade
Crack - Fun
Uni - College
Primary - High School

As for now I have my first day of Queen’s University orientation tomorrow, and I am quite excited. One issue I am worried about is that we must go to each different department on campus to select our modules for the semester. We have two weeks to try different modules, basically shop around until we find what we like.

Until next time!

Arrived in Belfast ...

So after having three cancelled flights, being rerouted, and a nine hour flight, I can finally say I am in Belfast! On my way to the hotel, my taxi driver took me on the scenic route of the city, which I must say is beautiful. It was frightening when I noticed that they drive on the opposite side of the road, and have no speed limit signs! As of right now, I am at my hotel room getting ready to go out for my first night in Ireland!
Until next time :)

Preparing to leave ... 1 week ago

Well, tomorrow is the big day! I am very excited, but nervous as well. I am most interested in seeing where my ancestors came from, and experiencing a whole new world. I believe in order to better myself as a person I need to immerse myself into different cultures, and realities. Everyday will be a learning experience and I am ready!

Megan Thompson's Study Abroad Blog from Belfast, N. Ireland

We will be following Megan Thompson's study abroad experience spring semester at Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Irelnad. Megan is a Criminal Justice student at NHCC and works in the Counseling, Advising and Career Planning Office. She leaves for Belfast Saturday, January 21, 2012 for 16 weeks. Stay tuned for her blog.
Go dte tu slan Megan!