The Tradition Continues

SEA 2013

A dozen Western New England University College of Business students arrived recently at Richmond American International University in London as participants in the fall semester Sophomore Experience Abroad program. Through the SEA program, students live and study on the Richmond Hill campus while taking business core classes taught serially in 3-week blocks by Western New England faculty members.  In addition, students take one semester-long elective course taught by Richmond faculty.

In photo, from left to right: Amanda Poris (Finance), Taylor MacKinnel (Exploratory Business), Julie Cokotis (Accounting), Irina Smith (Sport Management), Nicholas Haley (Management & Leadership), Christopher Davison (Pharmaceutical Business), Katelyn Hanam (General Business), Kevin Hepburn (Marketing), Jaclyn Sarno (Arts & Entertainment Management), Andrew Davis (Finance), Zachary Hamilton (Sport Management), and Brooke Wisnesky (Management & Leadership).  

Every end is a new beginning

Our first trip to Central London

It feels like yesterday that I arrived in London being scared yet excited for the new journey that was ahead of me. Now 104 days later we are counting down our final days in London, time has really flown by. I still remember the culture shock I was in when I first arrived at Richmond University. We had arrived in this place where the rooms were the size of a closet, where people drove on the other side of the road, and where we were hearing a variety of languages while walking throughout the university. Now this place feels like home. From this experience it has really taught me a lot about myself and has made more independent and confident. Being away from my family and friends in another country was something that was very hard to adapt to. I had to meet new friends on my own, learn how to get around Richmond, and I also had to figure out the transportation. Although it was extremely difficult I am very confident with getting around London without getting lost and I can navigate the tubes just as easily as I could navigate my home town. London has also given me the opportunity to get to know so many people I never got the chance to know before. Before coming on the London trip I didn’t really know many other people from the SEA group but now we all call ourselves one big family (or according to the students at Richmond we are referred to as “the wolf pack”). On top of the many things I have learned from living in London and the many people I have gotten to know, I have also had amazing experiences. Not everyone can say they visited Venice, Pisa, Florence, Rome, Paris, Bath, Stonehenge, and Porto in 109 days, I on the other hand can say I have experienced all of these amazing places. Overall London has been a great experience for me and it has really taught me a lot about myself and my abilities. Although I am excited to go home and be reunited with my friends and family I also know that I am going to miss London. London will always have a special place in my heart and it is a place and experience I will never forget.

Our last trip to Porto

First Ever Futbol Match

View from my seat

On Monday night I got to experience my first ever futbol match. I got to see Newcastle play against Fulham FC. It was an overall awesome time. Before coming to college I was never really into futbol or soccer in the states. Since being in London though I have become more of a fan because futbol is such a huge part of the culture here. Before coming over here I had thought about going to see a match, but never put much effort into finding one. I am very glad that I ended up going to a match.

            It was around 34 degrees at game time. I dressed in many layers to keep warm. The stadium seated around 25,000 people, so it was not very big, but it sure felt like there were hundreds of thousands of people. The atmosphere was incredible. The fans were loud and very into the game. Most of the fans were Fulham fans because they were the home team. Where we were sitting though was where most of the Newcastle fans were. I found it interesting how loud the Newcastle fans were. For almost the whole game they were yelling their team’s chants and rooting for their team, while most of the Fulham fans were pretty quiet.

            Fulham scored the first goal and lead the match 1-0 at halftime. A few minutes into the second half Newcastle scored a beautiful goal. Everyone in our section went crazy. I even jumped up and down and started yelling even though I did not care who won. Fulham then came back and scored the game-winning goal a few minutes later.

            The experience of my first futbol match in Europe will be one I never forget. The culture around the sport is unlike any sport in the United States. The fans are absolute diehard fans; they love their team as if they are family. The crowd noise was so loud for the amount of people that were there and they had interesting chants. I will always remember this match because it was so different from every other sporting event I have ever been to.

Feels Like Home

As the semester is coming to an end and I am down to my last week in London, I couldn't help but feel more homesick than I already was.  There is one thing that I have been seeing more of in London that is hitting home to me.  The Christmas decorations, music, and food items have started to make me miss home and the Christmas time with my parents.  I made it through Thanksgiving time without missing home too much, but that was because Thanksgiving is non-existent in England.  I didn't know what to expect when Christmas time came around in London because of all the cultural differences that I have seen since being here.  It turns out that the Christmas traditions and festivities are very similar to the traditions and festivities in the United States.  There are a few major things that I have been seeing the past few days that have really made me think about my home and my family.
            As I was riding the bus back to the University from downtown Richmond, I looked out the window and saw a few families decorating their Christmas trees in the windows.  At that point it finally hit me as to how homesick I really was.  Seeing a family put up a tree really made me think about putting the lights and ornaments on my tree at home.  Another thing that made me feel homesick was the Winter-Wonderland festival in Hyde Park.  I went with a few kids from Richmond and I ice skated for the first time.  Hearing the Christmas music playing and seeing families having a good time made me wish that my parents could be here with me.  Although I am feeling more homesick as my time here dwindles down, It makes me happy to know that the traditions and customs in England during Christmas time are very similar to my own.

Attention All Travelers!

This weekend fourteen of the sixteen SEAers embarked on an end of the semester trip to Porto, Portugal. It was truly unforgettable as we made new memories and reminisced about the past. We randomly picked Porto as our final destination because someone found inexpensive flights and knew it would be warmer there than in Richmond. Porto turned out to be an incredible city bursting with life, history, and natural beauty. As we walked towards our hostel to unpack and sleep for the night, I had a feeling Porto was going to be one of the highlights of my study abroad experience. For the first time in my life I was going somewhere I knew absolutely nothing about and had zero expectations of as a result. It taught me that good things can come out of taking a chance. This weekend has helped me put the phrase “where there’s a will there’s a way” into perspective. For example, when we got to the hostel I discovered my payment never went through. This meant they had no record of my reservation. I stayed calm and worked with the staff to assess my situation and come up with viable options. In the end I was able to get a bed and stay with everyone else.

The first full day, Friday, we took a tour of the city. The guide told us the history of Porto and showed us the sights. I was very impressed by all the spectacular views Porto had to offer. The hills made a unique skyline unlike any other. At the end of the tour we were shown a good place to eat where we all ordered a traditional dish hailed as the best sandwich in the world called “francesinha.” After devouring its succulent layers of bread, ham, steak, sausage, cheese, and egg under a secret sauce, I would have to agree. Everything else I ate in Porto was delicious as well, making it the tastiest city I have ever been to.

 

The Last of Our Travels Together

As our time abroad comes to an end, most of the SEA group decided to take a weekend trip to Porto, Portugal. We wanted to spend our last weekend of travel together as a last hoorah before we went home. We started our trip with a walking tour to see the sights and explore the city. The tour guide was a local who told us many stories about Portuguese culture. To end the day, we enjoyed a delicious home cooked Portuguese meal from the hostel. The next day we went on a tour at Taylor’s Winery to learn how Port wine was made. On the way there, we ended up taking a wrong turn making it a long uphill walk but it allowed us to see the other side of Porto that was less developed. Our hostel was close to the center of the city where there were lots of large buildings, hotels, restaurants, and shops so we didn’t really get to experience the real Portuguese culture until we got “lost” and were able to see the side streets and houses. We finally found our way there and returned to our hostel the “right” way and went out to dinner together. At the restaurant we had a little difficulty ordering because the servers did not know English well and none of us knew Portuguese. We were able to get by with the little bit of Spanish we knew but the menu was still difficult to read and order from. In the other non-English speaking countries I’ve visited, I’ve always been in large cities where most people know some English and menus are typically translated so it made it a little easier to understand things. I learned that by attempting to speak the language, people are much more patient and willing to help you even if you only know how to say hello, please, and thank you. Porto gave me the opportunity to experience foreign cultures in a new way and forced me to adapt quickly. It was a great last trip! I’m glad I got to spend time with the rest of the group before we make our way home to the United States to see our friends and family again.

Our Last Trip to Porto, Portugal

This weekend, thirteen students of the Western New England SEA group went to Porto, Portugal. This trip was the last one I would be taking while over in London. Visiting Porto was a great time and I’m glad I went on this journey. We left on Thursday evening and arrived in Porto at night since it was only a two hour flight.

The first day in Porto the hostel offered us a free walking tour around the major sites of the city. The group took advantage of this opportunity and went on the tour. The tour guide was quite good and he taught me a lot about the city. Once again I was learning about a new culture other than my own. It was interesting to learn about Portugal’s history and why certain buildings, parks, statues, stores etc. were important to the people of Portugal and the city. It was very evident that we were in a new country because of the language barrier. I would say it was more difficult to navigate around Porto than it was in Italy because of languages. In Italy it seemed like a lot more people new English, but I learned that In Portugal not that many people know English well.

 

The tour guide recommended to the group of us to go to a specific restaurant, and try a Portuguese dish called Francesinha. So that day when we went out to the restaurant and most of us got that meal. Sometimes I can be quite picky with trying new foods, but I was proud that I tried this meal. I tried it since it was native to Portugal and I wanted to try something I couldn’t probably find many other places. It was a meat sandwich that is covered in cheese and an egg and it was pretty good. I realized why it was so famous and it also comes with fries, and you have to eat the sandwich with a fork and knife.

The next day was full of sightseeing more of Porto and visiting and getting a tour of a winery. I learned that traveling with a big group, like ours, can be quite difficult since everyone has different opinions on what to do and when to do it. Overall, I think it was a great trip and I’m glad to say that I visited Portugal. I absorbed a lot about yet another culture, other than mine, and had a great time experiencing it.

Thanksgiving Weekend in Athens, Greece

As for many of the study abroad students, this was the first year I have ever not been at home and with my family for Thanksgiving. Instead, I spent the weekend that I am normally spending with my family, in Athens, Greece. Mariah and I chose to go through Richmond University and go on the weekend trip to visit Athens. I absolutely loved spending my weekend there experiencing the Greek culture. Since this is my last trip until I go home, I have already experienced a few other cultures, in places like Ireland, Spain and around England. I could instantly see and feel the difference in Greek culture in comparison to the other cultures I have seen. Not to generalize, but from the experience I had, the Greek culture is welcoming, enthusiastic, cultured, fun and much more. I know many people, including my own family were worried about visiting Greece,  considering their economic state, but I went without fear and learned that this should not stop people from visiting this beautiful country. It is a shame that their internal issues have slowed their tourism.

                I gained this view of their culture because of the people I met while visiting the country. When going out to eat, the waiters and stuff were fantastic. There was two times where our group received “on the house” desserts from the staff. I do not believe that this gesture was for a larger tip or some other motive; they were being very welcoming and generous. On top of that, every single Greek person I spoke to was multilingual. Not only do most people speak Greek, but they also speak English, and very well at that. This made experiencing the culture easier if we were to encounter any issues. It was a great experience to get to speak with shop workers and see how enthusiastic they were about their items. I understand they are trying to get you to eat at their restaurant or sell you an item, but they never forced it too much. Everyone I encountered was friendly and willing to talk. I learned quite a bit from our tour guide who went around to the sites in Athens for about eight ours. Our guide, being from Greece, was very knowledgeable about the history and the culture. She answered any of out questions, and we received first hand knowledge about the culture and what the people of Greece enjoy and much more. I will not forget this amazing experience and highly recommend visiting differing cultures to see the differences first hand! 

Harry Potter: World Wide Attraction!

As a last hooray for our management class, we all decided to go on a Harry Potter Studio Tour.  It was amazing to see so many behind the scene things from the movies.  One of the workers on the tour said that the majority of the items, either small or big, were in the films themselves.  Talk about clever recycling by the studio.  Several of us went and did green screen shots of us riding in the Weasley family flying car and on broom sticks, though not many actually bought the pictures.    After seeing all the inanimate/ still-life props there was an open area where they had Sirius’ motorcycle with side car, a Butterbeer stand (not real beer, more like cream soda), the Nightbus, # 4 Privet Drive, Potter Cottage, and Hogwarts Bridge (which you could walk across!).  After that were the living props, creepy yet cool.  Then there was the art and scale models, and after that a walk down Diagon Alley.  To finish the tour you got to walk around a large scale model of Hogwarts and then through a wand shop with the names of every person who was a part of the film on a box (I found J.K. Rowling’s pretty easily).  You end up in the gift shop at the end where you send a lot of time and money getting things.  Personally I got a scarf, a pin for a friend, and a book called “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” and spent a large amount of money, so worth it.

Now it may seem like the great icon of Harry Potter is just that, an icon meant for one nation to capitalize on.  But it is so much more.  It started as a book in Scotland that no one thought would explode to the size it is today.  While on the tour I saw people who were from all over the world there.  Old, young, couples, families, school trips; I’m pretty sure just about every type of person you could think of that likes Harry Potter was there.  Harry Potter is so much more than a book about a young wizard saving the world; it’s a book that brings people from all over the world together through just the connections of loving that heroic young man.  I bet if there is one thing that the far off future will remember is that Harry Potter was a book the took the world by storm and became an icon, not just for a country, but for a generation of people found across the globe.  Talk about a real victory of overcoming social boundaries.

When In Rome... Don't Get Lost

Fall Break was approaching which also meant that my birthday and trip to Italy were right around the corner as well. I was very excited to be spending my 20^th birthday in another country and away from my family for the first time. The weekend had finally come and after being delayed two hours in Heathrow we had touched down in Rome. It still being early morning, I thought I was hallucinating when I saw my parents greeting me at the gate in Italy. They had detoured from where they planned on being for their anniversary and met me in Rome to wish me a happy birthday. It was overwhelming to see them because it was completely unexpected. After I got a hug and a kiss in we were already off to our sightseeing tour bus.

We were officially on our own in a foreign speaking country. It was extremely exciting but at the same time it was kind of scary. Although there were seven of us on the trip, there still was not really comfort in numbers. None of us had phones that worked in Italy and none of us knew Italian other than the most basic words. If we had gotten separated for any reason I don’t really know how we would have found the other person. Only one of the people in our group had an itinerary with directions to each place. Along with being unprepared for diving into a new culture, only a select few had keys to our hostels; there were not enough keys for all of us.

On one point during our trip we were all visiting the Vatican but got split up because not everybody wanted to pay to get into the Sisteen Chapel. Another group member and I went back to the Colosseum to explore the Palantino and half way through the ruins we had realized we had no idea how we were going to meet back up with our group. Thankfully we had recollected that we made dinner reservations at seven so we were appreciative for the fact that we would surly find our group again. We did end up meeting back up with our group and had a phenomenal family dinner.

Going to Italy taught me that you should never blindly travel to another country with limited knowledge. Always have a sense of direction as to where you are and definitely bring a translation dictionary with you. It would be wise to have a dictionary because I got yelled at on a bus for using an invalid bus ticket and I had no clue as to what the guy was saying. I had made the poor assumption that he would know a little bit of English to explain, however it is not always the case. The trip definitely broadened my perspective on different cultures and it was surely a great experience that has furthered my traveling experiences.