Cultural Crossroads

CC-CS Student Newsletter

October 2009

 Learn the Language...           Travel the Land...          Live the Life... 

 

CC-CS Alumni Photo Contest Winners!
CC-CS alumni were recently challenged to a photo contest and submitted photos that best represent their time abroad. Here are the results:
 

 

A CC-CS classmate snapped this photograph as I admired the view of one of my favorite places in Spain, the town of Trujillo. We were able to climb the fortress, which offered one of the most amazing views of the landscape. I remember looking out and thinking of Spain's rich history and all the people that must have lived here, fought here and died here and it hit me right then and there; I was extremely privileged to be standing here. I took it all in; the air, the sight and the serenity of the moment. My friend and I stood in silence, looking out, not saying a word, all the while knowing that this moment will forever remain a memory of a lifetime.  



SECOND PLACE

"Future Bullfighters" 

On an OLA trip to Ronda, Spain, we entered the oldest bull ring in the country and found these two little boys riding their tricycles around.  It seemed like the boys were chasing one another, but it reminded me of the training young matadors take before their fights.

 

THIRD PLACE
"Fuegos"
Taken by Brian Watkins,

 
Alicante is a beautiful city full of things to do, during the summer there is a festival with fireworks on the beach every night for a week.


HONORABLE MENTIONS: See photos

 

To see all alumni photo entries, check out the Alumni Photo Contest Album on our Facebook Page.

¿Qué es lo mejor de poder viajar y estar en otro lugar? Lo mejor de estar en otro país es esa oportunidad que todos recibimos para aprender sobre una cultura, la gente, y la lengua. Esto es lo que yo he recibido al estar en Córdoba, Argentina. He tenido la oportunidad de conocer gente que ha sido muy amable y cordial conmigo y con otros extranjeros.

El haber estado estudiando en la universidad me ha ofrecido una experiencia inolvidable ya que los profesores eran muy amables y tuve la oportunidad de conocer estudiantes argentinos. Claro está, que no todo es estudio o diversión, sino que tiene que haber un balance entre ambos para poder tener una experiencia que recordaremos por muchos años.

El estar en Argentina me ha ofrecido la oportunidad de viajar y conocer lugares remotos que son muy bellos y que ofrecen una realidad que usualmente se ignoran y no son apreciados. Hay que viajar a lugares que no son turísticos; así se puede llegar a apreciar la estancia en Argentina, ya que no todo llegará a ser en blanco y negro, sino que también gris, lo cual es lo que usualmente nosotros los extranjeros no conocemos, ya que no son zonas de turismo. Les sorprenderá cuánto se aprende del país en donde uno está por ir a lugares que no son turísticos. Se conoce lo bueno y lo malo, lo lindo y lo feo.

El estar en Córdoba me ha dado una perspectiva diferente de cómo es la vida acá, ya que es diferente a la que yo usualmente he tenido. He aprendido a sobrellevar una vida cotidiana y diferente, ya que el ritmo de vida es muy diferente al que se lleva en otros países. Acá, los argentinos saben disfrutar la vida al mismo tiempo que sobrellevan y equilibran sus responsabilidades con diversión. El estar en un país nuevo o desconocido puede llegar a ser frustrante, pero solamente debes tener en mente que todo mejorará y que se volverá normal y rutinario, y cuando menos te lo esperes, ni cuenta te darás de que lo has estado haciendo sin preocuparte de ello.

Ha sido una experiencia maravillosa que todo el que decida tomar esta aventura no se arrepentirá de haberla emprendido. Crecerás como estudiante, amigo, como persona, y como individuo independiente con una experiencia como es el viajar a otros países...

Translation:
What is the best part of traveling and being in a new place? The best part of being in another country is having the opportunity to learn about the culture, people, and language. That is what I have experienced in Córdoba, Argentina. I’ve had the opportunity of getting to know a people who have been very friendly and cordial with me and other foreigners.

Studying at the university has offered me an unforgettable experience in that the professors are very friendly and that I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Argentine students. Clearly it is neither all study nor fun; it’s having a balance between the two that will allow an experience that we will remember for many years.

Being in Argentina has offered me the opportunity to travel and to know beautiful remote places that offer an often ignored or unappreciated reality. In traveling to places that are not touristy, you are able to come to a new appreciation of Argentina. It’s not all white or black, there’s grey too! And it is exactly that, the places with no tourists, what we foreigners usually do not know. It will surprise you how much you can learn about a country when you got to places that are not touristy. You get to know the good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly.

Being in Córdoba has given me a different perspective on live, in that it is different from what I am used to. I learned to accept that the rhythm of life is different from other countries. Here, Argentines know how to enjoy life, balancing their responsibilities with fun. To be in a new or unknown country can be frustrating, but you should keep in mind that all will get better and that it will all become normal and routine, and when you least expect it, you will be completely immersed in your new culture.

It has been a marvelous experience and all who decide to take on the adventure will not regret it. You grow as a student, a friend, a person, and as an independent individual when you experience traveling to other countries…

The CC-CS Torre Del Oro Cup
by Leah Rovner,
Muhlenberg College, PA
Seville, Spain Spring 2008

During my semester abroad in Sevilla, I lived with a family in Los Remedios on the street La Republica Argentina. Each day, I'd walk across the bridge by la plaza de Cuba, one of the central locations for hotels and restaurants in the city. I'd cross the street adjacent to el Torre del Oro, one of its most historic landmarks and pasear during breaks from class outside of la Giralda, the largest and oldest gothic cathedral in Europe.

Yet my favorite place to relax in the afternoons, after siesta with my family, was on the walkway beside the Guadalquivir River. It was a common place for my friends from the program to congregate and learn about each other. In the first few weeks, our most lengthy topics of conversation surrounded what "strange" foods we had eaten a few hours before at lunch. But after awhile, we became regulars, observing the Spanish lifestyle around us and soaking in the fresh scent of oranges hanging in the trees nearby.

Amongst several other Sevillan customs that we came to adopt - sipping cool Sangria on the bar boats, renting bikes and riding through gardens and barrios, ordering tapas late at night - we chose one feat to save for last: a paddle boat race. It is common for travelers and locals to rent paddle boats and spend the afternoons enjoying the sun on the river. Yet we quickly discovered a few problems. First, we were young and energetic and so slowly peddling on the water didn't sound all that exciting, and second, what were we going to do about uniforms? Rules? Team names? Given our American mindsets, these were all essential details to a true competition.

However, a bit of discussion and debate over the next few days assuaged our concerns. Our tournament would be called the first annual "CC-CS Torre Del Oro Cup." The first team to paddle from one bridge to the other, and back, would win. We'd all chip in and order t-shirts from a local store. Team names would be decided by the designated team captain.

Though I won't disclose the true winner, I will never forget our paddle boat race. It wasn't about who finished first or last. Instead, it was a moment to revel and reflect on how far we'd all come since we first landed in Sevilla. It was remarkable to think of how little we knew about each other, and how much we now understood, and remember that we were strangers only a handful of months ago.

For me, it was the friends I made through CC-CS that remain the heart of my experience. In five years, we're all planning to go back and do it all over again.

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