This is my final blog post. Overall, I think this study abroad experience has transformed me into a competent, independent, and experienced young adult into the real business setting.
Competence Throughout this past semester, I learned to analyze numerous Spanish companies and their financial reports in Professor Judith Mills-Wong's finance class. Furthermore, I have done research and wrote papers on the history, economic indicators such as GDP and inflation rate, unemployment and government structure, education system, business etiquettes, and lifestyles as well as taboos and customs of member countries in the European Union; Turkey and Estonia just to name a few. All these had provided me with a different point of view of seeing the macro aspects on a global level, heightened my decision-making skills, and contributed to shaping me into a well-informed individual with a sharp mind. Independence Over the course of the past 3 months, I lived with my host family and my room mate, which provided me with an opportunity to take care of myself. By travelling alone and having to form relationships with fellow students, I stepped out of my comfort zone and became a more confident, independent, and well-rounded person. Experience During this spring, I experienced many new things that I had previously not encountered in the United States. I adjusted and adapt to the Spanish culture as well as interacted with the locals, and throughout my travels I have created many memorable moments for myself and the others. It was truly the best 3 months of my life. For my readers who are planning to study abroad: do it. In life, we are often unprepared for amazing events that will happen. However, do not let fear and doubts take control of you and just take that leap of faith. A few things to keep in mind is that you should bring extra money because personally, there have been times where I ran out of money and the last thing you want is to panic and having to worry about funding when you are oversea. Also, do not pack too much because chances are you can buy a lot of the essentials and clothing when you are there and you most likely will. It is better to pack light and travel light. Lastly, you should keep an open mind and embrace the differences in a foreign land, and happiness will follow. Thank you all who were by my side and supportive of my incredible journey.
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Yesterday, our school went to visit the city of Ronda in the Spanish province of Malaga. It is located in a mountainous area of about 2,460 feet above sea level, and attached above is a picture of the canyon taken from the bridge. Other famous sightseeing spots include the bullfighting ring located in the center of the city and a picture of the bull statue is attached below this article. American artists such as Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles have spent many summers in Ronda in the quarter called La Ciudad, and they have both wrote about Ronda's beauty and famous bullfighting traditions.
This was the last field trip of the school. However, as I was admiring the beautiful view of Ronda, I could not help but to think of Hawaii: the gorgeous beaches, the stars, the food, and the people. Coming to Spain allowed me to compare and contrast, and there are definitely things that I will miss from Spain as well, which I will most likely discuss in my final post. There are three more weeks left before I head back home, and I intend to make every last second count. Until then, I shall keep calm and flamenco. Above is a picture of us on camels.
Our school took us on a 3-day weekend trip to Morocco, and it was an unforgettable experience. One of the highlights of this trip as well as the whole Semester in Spain program was the camel riding on the beach. Camels were quite tall so they had to kneel down for you to get on, and you should take this time to tell your friend to take some photos of you. Aside from the fun camel ride, we visited the town of Chefchaouen. Most, if not all of the buildings were blue-colored, and it was said that there was a special chemical in the blue dyed paint. It was special because mosquitoes do not like that chemical; therefore, the town was covered in blue to repel mosquitoes. Here is another fun fact: the bakers had high reputation in any given cities because not only do they provide the most common affordable food (bread), but also because people visited bakeries often to shop. Since alcohol was uncommon (or to some extent prohibited except to tourists), bakeries essentially served as bars and pubs where you can gossip and obtain information. One could even find jobs and houses; for instance, if someone decided to move to another city, he or she would give the house key to the baker and the baker would then sell it for this person. This weekend trip was a fun and interactive learning experience, and it was another reason why I encourage students to study abroad in Seville. Seville is located in Southern Spain and it is close to points of interests such as Portugal and Morocco, which makes it a perfect destination for students who love to travel. One last thing-- I recommend you to come during the spring semester, as there is a week-long break to travel. Attached below is a picture of Chefchaouen. My roommate and I went to Jerez yesterday for an unforgettable day-trip. As the study abroad program passed its halfway point, we decided to explore the remaining cities in the Andalusian region surrounding Seville. Since we had already visited the major provinces such as Cordoba and Granada with the school's field trips, we were planning to go to Huelva or Malaga for their beaches. However, we looked at the weather forecast and the forecast for rainy weekend caused us to change our initial plan. Finally, we decided to take a train to revisit Cadiz, specifically the city that is world famous for Sherry wines--Jerez de la Frontera or Jerez for short.
The train ride from Seville to Jerez was an hour long and we arrived there at noon. This gave us 2 hours of free time to explore before our wine tour Bodegas Tio Pepe at 2 p.m. We went to the Alcazar and the Cathedral to absorb their beauty, and began to head toward our wine tour destination it began to rain. Our tour was in English and it was 15 euro per person for the basic package, which included 2 glasses of Sherry wines at the end of the 90 minutes tour. From the tour, we learned that Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes. The definition of fortified wine is a type of wine that results from combining wine and a distilled spirit (usually Brandy since it is distilled from wine). In general, there are 2 different types of Sherry: dry Sherry and cream Sherry. Dry Sherry wines are usually served as an aperitif before a meal to stimulate the appetite, while cream Sherry wines are served as digestif since they are sweeter and richer due to added grape sugar and/or raisins. Overall, the tour was very informative and entertaining. We caught the train back to Seville as the sun began to set. To me, this trip to Jerez was an unique experience that served as a reminder of how unpredictable life is and it is up to you to make something out of it. We did not get to go to the beaches in Huelva and Malaga due to unexpected weather conditions. However, my roommate and I took action, made changes, and had a great time at Jerez visiting beautiful sights followed by a wonderful wine tour. "When life gives you grapes, make Sherry wines and drink to studying abroad." This weekend, we as the whole school went to the city of Granada for 2 days and 1 night. We spent the night at Hostel Atenas in the city, which is a prime location as it is minutes away from the Granada Cathedral. The students were given plenty of free time to explore the city, to explore the many hookah lounges and kebab places, as well as Arabian shops in the vicinity. In Granada, free tapas (basically Spanish appetizers) is given for the first drink you order at the bar and as a result, it is common for people to bar hop from one bar to another. As you can see from my photos, I had an amazing time there with my friends. Quite a few students decided to stay an extra night because they could not get enough of the culture and the vitality the city has to offer. Other points of interest in Granada include the Alhambra and the Generalife garden. Needless to say, it was a really fun trip and I would strongly encourage my friends and family back home to visit, revel, and absorb Granada's beautiful and rich culture.
This past week, our school took us all on a field trip to the city of Cordoba, and we had a tour guide that gave us a tour at the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. From the tour, I learned that Cordoba was once an important Roman city and an Islamic center. In the present, it is a city that shares similarities with Seville-- they are both beautiful cities in the Spanish region of Andalusia, and they both feature an Alcazar, which is a royal palace of some sort. Attached above is a picture taken from one of the high towers, from which you can spot the enormous garden and fountains.
On the topic of Andalusia, it is Andalusia Day on the 28th of February. Therefore, many students who do not have classes on Monday used this long weekend opportunity to travel to Madrid or the United Kingdom. As for my weekend, I went to the Cadiz Carnival with a few friends of mine for a fun night. Forgive me for not uploading any pictures of Cadiz but it was very crowded, resulting in slow cellular service plus we were on the lookout for the many pick-pocketers and phone-snatchers there. With that being said, the Carnival itself was still a mesmerizing and breath-taking experience, as well as an opportunity to see people from all over Spain dress up and drink under the festive lights on the streets and in front of the Cathedral. Cadiz, like Cordoba, is one of the cities near Seville. Since it is right next to the ocean, it can get rather cold around night time. I encourage those of you who want to check it out during the Carnival to bring with you a warm jacket, and more importantly, a warmer spirit and just have fun. This marks the end of my first month here. These two visits had certainly open my eyes a little bit more on the perspective and the culture of Spain, and I am definitely looking forward to my future travels. Adios. I arrived safely in Seville on February 1st to my host family, after what seemed like an eternity spent in the air and at different airports. On a side note, if any students are interested in booking a flight, I recommend statravel.com as it is the site I used to get a student discount on my air fare. The weather is cold here for first half of the Spring, but it is nothing too serious so a moderately thick jacket is all that you will need to pack.
After I settled in from my arrival, there was a week of activities planned by the International College of Seville for the students, one of which is a flamenco dance. It was an eye-opener, as we have been told that every dances the dancers performed on the stage was spontaneous, meaning they were all unique to the emotions and atmosphere at the moment they were performed. Also, I have been taking a lot of pictures of the city, but I do not intend to upload too many pictures on this blog, as they can distract my readers from my thoughts. I want this blog to focus on my reflections, epiphanies, and a channel for you guys to learn more about my overseas experience and adventures via words. Speaking of adventures, the International College of Seville has taken us on an excursion to Alcazar of Seville, the famous royal palace where its architecture style is heavily influenced by the Romans and the Arabic architects. Above is a picture of myself in front of one of the doorways. I have also been told that the reason why the ceilings in the palace are so nicely decorated with colorful tiles was to encourage people to look up and feel inspirations instead of looking down at cold hard floors or, in today's case, their smart phones. The structures within the palace, from aqueducts to gardens, were all truly astonishing and I felt more historically and culturally enriched when I stepped out of the palace at the end of the excursion. It was a wonderful outdoor learning experience. There will be more excursions on Fridays, as we only have school Monday through Thursday. My schedule right now is as follows: Monday & Wednesday- 9am to 11am, and an independent study class that can be transferred back for 3 credits/Tuesday & Thursday- 9am to 11am, 11am to 1pm. This first week of welcoming week was just the beginning of my overseas journey. There will be many more field trips to come in the future that I cannot wait to share with you guys. For now, stay tuned and take care. Gracias. I will be flying out to Seville, Spain tomorrow night, and I have not even finished packing yet :(. I am having a difficult time right now falling asleep due to the excitement and anticipation I have, but I will have plenty of time to sleep on the plane anyway so it will be fine. Looking back at all the steps and preparations I had to make to lead up to this moment, I am fairly proud of myself. The biggest challenge I had was probably getting my student visa. However, the Study Abroad Center at UHM did most of the work, for which I am utmost thankful for.
Aside from the student visa, there was a little hiccup that happened to me when I tried to exchange my USD to Euros at the bank. The branch that I went to were out of Euros and so was the main branch. Luckily, there was another branch that had a health amount of Euros reserved, and thus I was able to exchange my USD to Euros, something that you will need for the cab ride from the airport to your host family if you choose Seville as your study abroad destination. Anyway, I should go back to packing my last few items for my semester in Seville. Hopefully, I will have a smooth trip and arrive safely without any hiccups. I know that I will cherish every moment of this Spring. To my family and friends, see you all soon but not too soon! Before I leave for Seville in about a week, I would like to take a moment to thank those who had help me along the way. Without them, I would not have been able to make this opportunity of studying abroad happen. First, I would like to thank my family and friends. My sister, Jojo, as well as my parents were by my side every steps of the way and providing me with warm supports. They are every bit as excited as I am, if not more, for my decision to study abroad in Spain. For that, I am very grateful. I also want to thank my best friend Jacky, for being a good listener when I was in a moment of doubt and having cold feet (pun intended, as it WILL be cold in Seville). Shout-out to the rest of my friends as well, for their encouragement and kind wishes.
Then, I would like to thank Vanessa Chong and everyone at the Study Abroad Center at UHM for their hard work. As a matter of fact, Vanessa was the very person who convinced me that I should seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I would not have been able to turn in all the required paperworks on time without her constant reminders. She showed a great deal of care for our Seville study abroad group, and I cannot thank her enough. Last but certainly not least, I would like to show my appreciation for the donor of the Dennis Y.M. Ching Scholarship. I am extremely thankful for their decision in choosing me as a recipient of the scholarship and I intend to make full use of the award's aid for my oversea study. I would also like to thank Rikki Mitsunaga, my undergraduate Academic Advisor at UHM, for her patience in assisting me to plan out my academic adventure. Thank you all and I will keep you guys posted. |
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