September 2019 – Global Engagement Fellows

Confucius Institute Day

September 30, 2019Amy

Between classes, I kept returning to the South Oval so that I could go to Confucius Institute Day. I remember my first memory of the day during my Freshman year. I was so in awe of all the delicious food, talented performers, and the overall organization of the tables you could visit to learn from (e.g. craft tables). This year was no different, and I’m happy that we have this day on campus.

The Confucious Insitute represents the partnership OU has with Beijing Normal University. It often puts together events to promote Chinese culture and is an example of how the international groups on campus make OU great.

4 Ways to Combat Homesickness

September 30, 2019Lynden Hoge

It’s been about two months since I arrived in St. Petersburg to study abroad. I’ve honestly no idea where the time has gone, but even still, the three months remaining seem to stretch so far ahead of me. Some days are definitely worse than others when it comes to homesickness, and having been away for so long, I’ve become well acquainted with the feeling. As such, I wanted to give a couple of tips from my own experiences these past two months on how to combat homesickness and make sure you’re enjoying your time abroad.

Before I jump right in, a caveat: my advice may or may not work for you. Everyone feels homesickness in varying degrees, and everyone copes with homesickness in different ways. I’ve had a decent amount of practice at being away from home; I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and my family still lives there. It’s a seven hour drive to visit them, and my first semester of freshman year felt a lot like being abroad. I was homesick all the time until I made solid friends and became familiar with our campus.

So here’s the first tip:

1. Fight homesickness by trying to make your city/university your home

Homesickness is caused very much in part by feeling strange, foreign, and uncomfortable in a new environment. Try finding a coffeeshop nearby your dorm that you really like, or map out a route through a nearby park to go running. Put up a few pictures above your desk. Bring a favorite book or two to keep next to your bed. Building a routine and personalizing your room both go a long way in making a new environment less frightening.

2. Indulge in some Netflix when you’re down

If you really don’t feel like going out, it’s okay to stay in and watch some Netflix. There’s nothing like your favorite show to cheer you up, but remember, your study abroad experience may not be the best time to spend three weeks binge watching all of The Office.

3. Be a tourist!

You are abroad! Go explore the country you’re living in! You can and should go explore the local sights, order the traditional foods, take touristy photos of the castles and cathedrals and countryside. Go to the museums. Listen to the street musicians outside the metro station. Buy a keychain at a souvenir shop.

If you know too much free time will cause you to start missing home again, plan some outings for yourself. Find a friend or two at your university who wants to go out exploring with you. There’s plenty to see and do while you’re abroad, and if you don’t make the most of it, you’ll have a lot of regret at the end of the semester. And trust me, I feel a lot less homesick when I’m walking down the gorgeous streets of St. Petersburg than when I’m cooped up in my dorm room.

4. Get off social media

Hear me out. Being abroad can be lonely. It can be scary. There will probably be at least one day where you just curl up in bed and desperately wish to be home again. It’s comforting to scroll through Facebook or Instagram or whatever else you use, and I know you want to stay in contact with your friends.

But all things in moderation.

Spending hours on social media stalking everyone back home — seeing what food they’re eating, where they’re going on the weekends, pictures from late night Whataburger runs — it’s not going to help you feel better. You’ll just end up missing home even more than you did to begin with, and you’ll miss out on opportunities to enjoy your time abroad.

Instead of leaping for your phone every time you get a new notification, try calling a friend and talking for an hour or two. The interaction will be way more comforting than feeling left out, and they’ll want to hear all of your stories too!

Once again, this isn’t guaranteed advice. There are still times where I wish the end of the semester were closer so I could go home again, but I think I’ve been getting better and better at appreciating the beauty of St. Petersburg and enjoying the time I’m getting to spend here. Studying abroad is so worth it, and if you haven’t considered it before, you should look into doing it. Just be prepared for the homesickness, make a plan on how to push through, and make sure you have the best experience possible while abroad!

“Singing in Fear: Female Vocalists and Cultural Securitization in Iran”

September 25, 2019Global Engagement Fellows

Last week, I attended the lecture “Singing in Fear: Female Vocalists and Cultural Securitization in Iran” by Dr. Nahid Siamdoust. It dealt with Iranian female singers and strict prohibition of women singing in public in Iran, and how women have found ways to challenge or circumvent these prohibitions. In the years after the Iranian Revolution, women were barred from singing publicly. Dr. Siamdoust explained that the reasoning behind this decision was that the religious authorities in Iran thought that the female voice might incite pleasure or inspire lust.
There were certain settings were women could sing publicly, such as in a choir even solo to all-female crowds, but the female artists Dr. Siamdoust interviewed felt that their works were not respected or appreciated in this context. Another option female artists had was to travel abroad and give solo concerts and this is what many women have done, following the example of a prominent Iranian female singer.
From what I understood, Iran seems willing to tolerate women singing solo if they judge the context to be appropriate, such as the solo female voice in the intro to a television program that Dr. Siamdoust showed us. However, the problem with using the word ‘appropriate’ is that it can be open to any kind of interpretation and varies widely from person to person. There have been guidelines put out in an attempt to clear things up, but the situation remains unclear. Although there is often social stigma or possible governmental harassment, today, women keep singing, whether at home, on social media, or abroad.

Mundo Lingo

September 25, 2019Katherine

One of the most difficult things for me studying here in New Zealand has been finding ways to speak and listen to Spanish. The country’s official languages are Maori and NZSL, the predominantly spoken language is English, and my international friends seem to speak every language under the sun besides Spanish. If I wanted to use French, German, Portuguese, Dutch, Finnish, or Italian I would have no trouble finding someone to chat with. But for whatever reason there are far fewer students at Victoria from Latin America or Spain, and I have yet to connect with any of them unfortunately.

After the first month of having my only exposure to Spanish be through my Spotify playlists and Casa de papel on Netflix (which is SUCH a good show by the way), I met a girl named Parminder through the NZSL Club on campus. She also shares my love for learning languages, and she introduced me to an event called Mundo Lingo. Mundo Lingo is a weekly social meetup for people who are multilingual or are learning another language. It’s held at one of the bars in the city and everyone who shows up gets flag stickers when they arrive: the first for your home country and native language, then each subsequent one for other languages you speak from best to worst in terms of ability. Then, once you have your flags, you just jump in; once you find someone else who speaks one of your languages, you strike up a conversation and see where things go from there. Since my first time going, I’ve been to Mundo Lingo every single week I’ve been in town, and most weeks I go twice. I’ve met Chileans, Colombians, Mexicans, Kiwis, Brazilians, a Chinese girl, and an English guy who all speak fluent or near-fluent Spanish. I’ve also started bringing my other international friends and through them I’ve met even more people who speak even more languages.

It is such a cool and fun event, and I really wish we had something like it in Oklahoma. As a now-regular at Mundo Lingo I see a lot of the same faces every week and have gotten to know so many new people in this city. Even better than that, I’ve begun seeing the people from Mundo Lingo at restaurants and on the streets and even just randomly on hikes in the middle of nowhere on a random Sunday afternoon… it has been one of the most ideal ways for me to meet new people and practice my Spanish (et un petit peu de français) with other people who are just as passionate as I am about learning and speaking languages. It’s definitely one of the things I’m going to miss most about being here; Mundo Lingo has events in both Auckland and Wellington, eight cities in Europe and Asia, six in Latin America, and one in New York City… but none anywhere near Norman, Oklahoma.

I’m already considering getting in touch with some people back home and trying to set up Mundo Lingo or a similar language meetup event in OKC. I’d even drive to a bigger city like Dallas if it means I can continue going to things like this on a regular basis. I think the concept has amazing potential to connect people all over the globe and encourage language learning and culture sharing among both local and international people who have come together to live in a city–and it’s FREE! This kind of event is exactly what fuels my passion for languages and cultures, and every time I speak to someone new it reminds me of how unique and wonderful people can be.

International Pancake Night, or “Pancake my eyes off of you”

September 21, 2019Katherine

It is now the end of September, which means I have been in New Zealand for over 2 months now. I expected to be pretty homesick by now, or at least still feel a little bit like a stranger in this country, but I am actually feeling well-settled and really happy here. One of the things that has made my transition so easy and truly made Wellington feel like home is the group of people I’ve shared it with. Most of my friends are other international students, and we’re a hodge podge of languages, cultures, and personalities that shouldn’t work as well as it does, but for whatever reason fits together perfectly. Since all my friends are from different countries, I get exposed to a lot of different ideas, sayings, perspectives, and–especially significant for today–foods.

New Zealand doesn’t really have a “cuisine” to its name, so most of the food I’ve eaten has been international anyways: Italian, Malaysian, American, Mexican, British, Thai, and even Spanish restaurants have setups across the country. But I’m exposed even further to international cuisine because my friends and I share meals frequently and we love making dinners and having potlucks together. Recently, the group I traveled with to the South Island all got together and had a potluck pancake night. Each of us made pancakes from our respective countries, and it was so cool (and tasty) to try all of the different dishes that everyone thinks of when they hear the word “pancake”.

There was another girl from the U.S. in the group, so I let her make the tried and true, sweet, fluffy North American breakfast cakes with maple syrup and I chose instead to make latkes, or potato pancakes. Latkes are a savory, fried, grated potato and onion mixture that are similar to hashbrowns but have a smoother texture. We also had other savory pancakes, like Brazilian ones made with a thin, salty crepe-like batter that is filled with bean and meat chili. Along with those we had Dutch pancakes, which were kind of in between savory and sweet; the batter was relatively neutral, and Thijs cooked them with cheese, apples, and/or bacon that he placed in the batter right after he poured it so that they were cooked into the middle of the pancake. My German friend made Russian pancakes, called blini, because he has a Russian grandmother that made them for him at home. Blini are sweet and somewhere in between the thickness of a crepe and that of an American pancake. I found out that in Hong Kong, people eat pancakes similar to the ones we have in the US, just with different toppings, and our two resident Fins made a huge sweet sheet cake-like pancake in the oven that was both delicious and surprisingly easy to make.

We all had a really fun time hanging out and tasting each others’ pancakes, and by the end of the night we were all stuffed so full we almost had to roll ourselves home. I’ve always loved how food can connect people and represent a town, region, or country’s culture, and pancake night was a unique opportunity for my friends and I to share a bit more of that with each other.

Semester Classes Begin

September 17, 2019Lynden Hoge

I am in the midst of the second week of semester classes at the Polytech Institute in St. Petersbrug, and it has certainly been an adventure.

My courses this semester are Russian Language, the History of the Russian Language, History & Culture of St. Petersburg, and Lexicology. History of the Russian Language and Lexicology aren’t scheduled to start until next month, so as of right now, my only two classes are Russian Language and History & Culture of St. Petersburg.

Only two classes? Why, that sounds like a breeze, you say.

Don’t be deceived.

Our Russian Language course has 12 hours of class time a week. We are in class from 10:00 to 1:30 Monday through Thursday, with a half hour break in the middle. That’s enough class time to constitute a full time schedule at OU. The class is also taught completely in Russian, which has been a lot to adjust to.

Some of the students in our class have been studying Russian for three or four years. I’ve only been studying Russian for two. Suffice to say, there’s a little bit of a disparity between language abilities, and as I am (currently) on the lower end of the class language spectrum, the homework we get every night generally keeps me busy for three hours or so, depending on the nature of the work.

We’re only a second week in, but I’ve come to realize that this semester may be one of the most challenging I will have during my college career. But while I know it’s going to be a lot of work (and believe me, it already is), I have already begun to learn so much. My roommate Callie has managed to make friends with a couple of native Russian speakers here, and we’ve gotten to hang out with them and practice our Russian on several occasions. Going to the store, ordering food at restaurants, and understanding the class lectures are all gradually becoming easier. And the knowledge I’ve been acquiring isn’t constituted solely of language either. Every time I ride the metro, every time I explore a new part of the city, every time I try a new Russian food, I’m learning a little bit more about the culture and the mindsets of the people who live here.

With such long hours in class wherein we only speak Russian with classmates who know so much more than I do, contributing to the classwork and discussions is a daunting task. But when I think about the extraordinary opportunity that has been afforded me — the fact that if I work hard, if I make an effort to speak the language, if I keep my head above the water, if I truly do my best to learn — I see how much I could improve my language abilities over the semester. Being here in St. Petersburg where Russian is spoken everywhere and by everyone, the amount I learn is limited only by how much work I’m willing to put in.

When I think about these things, I get the same giddy feeling that I did when I first started entertaining the idea of studying in St. Petersburg.

La Noche Mexicana y Oaxaca

September 16, 2019My Journey

These past two weeks have been one of the best experiences of my life. Those who know me know that I am a very energetic person who loves to live life to the fullest, and these weeks have truly been living. Mexico’s Independence Day is currently today, but the weeks leading up to it have been extremely fun. My university, UPAEP, had a celebration for Independence Day called La Noche Mexicana where there was so much food and dancing. I saw many of my international friends and Mexican friends there which was super exciting. I was even learning more Cumbia. The night was young and vibrant celebrating their Independence Day. It’s interesting to see that people still think it’s Cinco de Mayo, but it’s actually not, so it made me happy to be a part of the true Independence Day. Also this past weekend we went to Oaxaca to celebrate Independence Day. The streets were live and full of energy. Many people wore the colors of the flag, red, white, and green. We danced the night away counting down to midnight for the celebration. The day before we created Alebrihes, which are handmade arts that take days and weeks to carve and paint. It was so fun to get an opportunity like that. Ultimately, Mexico has been a blast and will continue to be incredible.

ASA: Game Night

September 14, 2019Global Adventures

This year I am on the executive board of the Arab Student Association, and this past Tuesday we held our first event of the semester: a night featuring games from across the Arab world! These included tawla, the Arab version of Backgammon, dominoes, cards, and several physical games led by other ASA members.
No cultural event is complete without food, and there was a spread of hummus, pita chips, dates, and almonds for attendees to snack on as they made their way from country to country through participation in the games native to them. Tea and Arabic coffee are also staples of ASA events, and I got to see the process of how Arabic coffee is made as one of the other board members prepared it during setup (it involves a really cool little pot).
There was also live music that featured several iconic instruments native to the Arab world: the oud, which is a string instrument that looks somewhat similar to a guitar, and the tabla, which is a small drum used to create the rhythmic base of much Arab music. I took a class called Middle Eastern music several semesters ago where I learned about these instruments among many others, and the opportunity see them performed live and truly get a feel for the vibrant sounds they produce is amazing.

Studying Abroad? Helpful Apps

September 10, 2019Caroline Goode

One of the gifts of modern technology is the ways it changes travel. Here is a list of the apps I used (very) frequently while studying abroad. From messaging to travel and navigation, these applications helped make traveling in other countries a much smoother experience.

Transportation

VRN Ticket (the local transportation schedule and tickets)
Deutsche Bahn Navigator (as a student, DB provides discounts on their Bahn25 and 50 cards that make traveling much cheaper)
FlixBus (the best of budget travel)
Student Universe (best for longer flights)
Omio (overall best for figuring out whether bus, train, or plane is cheapest/fastest)
SkyScanner ( keeps an eye out for really cheap flights)

Trip Planning/ Navigating

Visit a City (gives an overview of what to see in the city)
Booking.com
Hostel world
Rick Steves Audio Europe (didn’t use that often, but gives lots of history)
Mapy.com (good hiking trails)
GOOGLE MAPS

Communication

MarcoPolo (Great for communicating with family in a completely different time zone)
WhatsApp ( just a must. It’s the communication method of choice)
Skype (calling on Wifi)
Zoom (conference calls)
Google Translate

Other

If you need a bank account in Germany, the online company N26 was reccomended to us. It’s completely digital, so also an app.

Reflections on August

September 2, 2019Lynden Hoge

I have finished my summer course studying Russian at Polytech!

I’d like to say that I’m basically fluent now, but alas, that is not the case (yet). This past month, I navigated a steep learning curve in more ways that one, but I’d like to say that my language skills have experienced the most change since coming to Russia. I had a lot of practice with phonetics and intonations, and I certainly have a larger vocabulary than when I began. I have gained a greater understanding of verbs of motion (though they can still be quite tricky to manage), and I’d like to think my case endings have been hammered down a bit better. And while, my ability to hear, comprehend, and respond in a timely fashion still requires a lot of work, I think participating in Polytech’s summer school has given me a greater confidence in my Russian language survival skills.

Finishing the summer school also means that I’ve reached the one month mark of being in Russia. During this time, I have definitely struggled with homesickness. As classes back home began and everyone settled into their new routines, I kept getting notifications about all the cool things that were happening. It made me ache for my family, friends, and home. But I am beginning to learn not to dwell on my homesickness by using my spare time to explore St. Petersburg and appreciate the beauty and history of this city. Even though I do miss home, I have an incredible opportunity in spending this semester abroad, and I am going to make the most of it.

Overall, my greatest achievement over this past month has been learning how to move past my fear in talking to native speakers. I still have a long way to go in this regard; navigating business transactions or asking a question about transportation is one thing, and holding a true conversation is something entirely different that I still have trouble with. I’ve scaled the first mountain though, by acquiring the courage to actually engage with people when I’m at the store or at restaurants. Trying to talk to native speakers is always terrifying, but if you can find it in you to at least make an attempt, it is so rewarding.

Thus ends my first month of my time abroad. Next week, we start our class again, and I am excited to see what September and the rest of the semester brings.