Global Understanding Course Partner

Last Reflection about Poland. Through the time that we talked with students from Poland, we learned a lot of things about our partners. For example, Anca want in her life be a good Change-Maker, Successful and happy, Having a meaningful life and a healthy lifestyle. Also, she wants to be Married, having children, her own Home and car and be financial Stabled. She also wants a long life learning and Traveling around the world, visiting Chile, Mexico and sharing her experience, helping people. Finally, she pointed that she wants to keep the connections started with the opportunity of Global Understanding Program. For Anca and for me too, it was a good experience, where we talked about our traditions, hobbies, our families and our lifestyle that are not too different. Also we want to keep the connection started with this program because we want to know each culture and Anca want to learn to speak Spanish and help me to improve my English. I feel comfortable with this experience because it helped me a lot to develop my communication skills. In a future she wants to visit Chile, so she wants to come to my house and have a good experience learning about our cultures, traditions or customs. I want the same that she wants, but traveling to North America and know more about life in there and about their culture, as music, art, traditions or food.

#2 Family + Traditions During this class we talked about Family & Traditions. It was really interesting because I have never spoken about it with a person from Poland. Anca, my partner is a particular person who comes from Rumania to Poland and knows Rumanian, Polish, English and a little bit of Spanish. She told us that she is in Poland and her parents are in Rumania. Anca usually do Video Skyping with them, she said it’s difficult to be far away from her mother.  Today, I talked with Anca. This is the second time that we talk more. The first time was after class because she wasn’t in class. I mean, the first time I was thinking a lot of every word that I was writing. Today it was different. I think that we were both more relaxed because we made even jokes.  Halloween is so common in Poland that now it’s almost like a tradition instead of just a celebration. Not like in Chile, here it’s like just a day to have a party and stuff. About Christmas, she told us that sometimes the spend time with their families and then go to a party with friends. She also talked a little bit about the food that they eat that day. For example, he told us that they eat twelve dishes; that’s a lot! Not like in my country, here is just one big meal, but no twelve. It was a great experience talking about family and traditions.

Global Understanding -Poland #1 College Life Today we suppose we were talking with our partner I was so excited but Anca did’t appear. So I started to talk with Alexandros Kantakidis who was really kind with me and I could know more about Poland and his life. Alex come from Athens,  Greece but he lives in Poland one year ago. He is half Polish because his mother is Polish so he learned Polish when he was really young. In Greece he studied economic and regional development, I think it’s a difficult program because it’s means that there are too many numbers and I don’t like it. In Poland, Alex study sociology. The first interaction was that when we were all introducing ourselves with the other guys. I didn’t introduce myself because I was really mad to all my classmates because they were doing a lot of noise and acting like child. I think I shouldn’t let that affect me that way. Honestly I was like really “proud” because of what I did but then I realized that I shouldn’t let that interpose with my responsibilities. Like a teacher told me, I am responsible of my acts and not about others people behavior. That’s talking about me. If I talk about that class, I have to say that I didn’t like it. I don’t like the behavior of some childish classmates because they makes us all look ridiculous in front of others. I mean I think there’s time to play and laugh but when you’re meeting new people from another country it’s not the right moment.Well, today in our second interaction we talked about College Life.  I really hope that the connection quality of them improves with the time because if it doesn’t, it will be always uncomfortable for them and for us. Just details, but still important.The questions of today were about the college life. I remember what Alex said about parties and drinks. I think that a lot of them are very used to go on party very often haha. Other think that I remember is when a girl with red hair- I don’t remember her name- asked us about our grades scale. We answered that it’s start from 1 to 7, and they told us that their grades start from 1 to 5.  I think that with that scale of them they have like less opportunities to getting good grades and that they have to put more effort in their studies. Not like us, I mean we have from 1 to 7, it’s clearly more.Summarizing, the video chat of today was good. I hope the connection improves with time. Also, I really hope with ALL my soul that we all behave in a good way.

#7 Today our reflection is about our experience about the program and having a partner from USA. In my opinion it was a new and good experience because we knew a different culture and different persons that are students too. Personally my partner, Kiera was really kind. She come from a Christian family from Fayetteville, United States. She proved to be a good person although she worked with different persons with different personalities like Pablo and I. I think that East Carolina University has a big and beautiful campus. Student there can make a lot of extracurricular activities. For example, many students from ECU practice sports and go to the GYM. Also they have Starbucks where buy delicious coffee. I think that they have a lot of benefit like a bedroom on the campus, GYM and Coffee Shops. In my opinion things like that are important to make the Campus more interesting.

#5 Today in our 5th video conference with ECU students we talked about Stereotype and Prejudice. A stereotype usually is used to categorize a group of people. People don't understand that type of person, so they put them into classifications, thinking that everyone who is that needs to be like that, or anyone who acts like their classifications is one. For example, students from East Carolina University think that all Latin American people are similar but it is not true because all the countries in Latin America are different. A prejudice is a preconceived judgment or opinion; I mean an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge. They asked if we have some stereotype about they and we answer that we think that almost all Americans are blond and they have blue eyes, also that blond girls sometimes are stupid and that they have a wrong idea about who are Americans. About us, they think that we love things with hot spicy but it is not true.

#4 Today the topic for discussion was Life and Religion. At the beginning of the class they had some problems with the microphone that wasn’t working but then we share a lot of things about our life with the students from East Carolina University. It was really interesting to know more about their daily life because we have different point of view and thinking so it is important that we share our ideas. Some of they say that they would change some things about their life. For example, my partner said that she would start to drink more water because it is good for your body and for your life. Also, they said that a good change is to enjoy their life and enjoy things being kind and appreciating life. They asked if we think that there is a life after death and I think that it is true. About Religion, many students said that they are Christians. Kiera’s family and my family are both Christians. Days ago she told me that in her church there are around 1000 persons. There are a lot of religions around the world. The most common religions in United States country according to what they said are Christian, Baptist, Mormonism and Presbyterian. I think that it was a good time to reflect about our life and take conscience about our life.

#3 Today we talked about Cultural and Family Traditions. Around the world there are a lot of traditions. In United States and here in Chile there are similar traditions in Halloween and Christmas. On July 4th they celebrate the Independence Day but we celebrate on September 18.  They usually celebrate eating plenty of French fries, hamburgers and hot dog and everyone wears the colors blue, white and red. Also there are many fireworks and they visit other family members. Here in Chile we celebrate in a different way. We usually eat empanada, BBQ and some people drink chichi, punch and earthquakes. In my family, we stay at home and eat together. It’s the same that Pablo’s and Kiera’s family. After that, some people go to parties and celebrate all the night. Talking about family traditions, Kiera said that her family love to play board games. The most popular board game in her country is Monopoly but there are a lot of board games. In Chile there is a similar game that is called Gran Santiago. Twister and Uno are other famous games that Kiera like to play. In this opportunity I learn a lot of things about Kiera and her family. Also I learned about her country and traditions.

#2 About the College Life in East Carolina University we learned a lot of things. Almost all the students like to go to the GYM and do some sports. They also have football games where their family can participate. They use nicknames for teachers outside the room. Inside the room they call teachers for their last name because it show respect. I think that their University Life is very similar to us. A big difference that I noticed was that they all live in the University. In the other hand, we all have to travel for a long or short time to come to the University. Talking about Holidays, in our country we have more long breaks. In Christmas their family go to the campus to spend time with they. They said that they can get a job on their University. For example, they can work in libraries and Starbucks. In my opinion they have a lot of benefits and extra activities on the campus. About my partner, Kiera, I can say that the first year in the University was difficult for her because she knew different people and new friends. Also, she like to write and practice sports. I think that it is a beautiful University, so I would like to live in there.

#1 I was so excited and happy because I knew to my partner and the students from East Carolina University (ECU). In this first link I felt really good. The students were kind and nice with us. I expected that they were a little bit serious but I love the way that they are because the communication was better. About the experience I can say that it was fun and good for me because I developed my personality and I knew different students. At the beginning I was nerves but then I felt comfortable. Also, I learned some things about their University. I would like to know more about the students and the University life in that University. I am happy because Kiera is my partner and I can know more about her.