Bonners Abroad

I am writing this having returned home for a bit. Interestingly enough, it feels as if I returned from a normal college semester even though I traveled to the other side of the world. I might have to do that it was similar in length to the Bates semester. It is nice being back, being able to eat homemade foods and visiting my favorite local shops.

Already, there are many things that I miss. I miss being able to travel anywhere in Switzerland. Here, I am rather limited as to how far I can go, but with the Swiss pass, I could go nearly anywhere within reach. Whether it be commuting to class or going across the country, I really appreciate the program for giving us such an opportunity to explore the place that was home for a few months. I included a few pictures of the various places I visited across the country and nearby. 

The view outside my classroom in Geneva

The Matterhorn mountain as seen from Zermatt

Entering Vaduz in Liechtenstein

Annecy, France

The mountains around Murren, a small town in the mountains in central Switzerland

The Christmas market ferris wheel in Monthreux as seen from afar

A map and guide in Chur, located southeast in the country

Something else that I miss is the food. I knew I was going to like it given the positive feedback I heard and read about online, but I did not expect the food to be that good. My favorites include raclette (melted cheese squares on potatoes), fondue (a pot of melted cheese where you can dip bits of bread and small potatoes into it with a special fork), spaetzle (which is similar to pasta), and of course, the homemade food from my host mom. I also enjoyed the food from the Swiss Italian region of the country, which is a lot like Italian food (I had some of the best pasta I have ever had at an Italian restaurant in Lugano). Indeed, cheese is big in the country, and there are cheese factories you can visit, such as the one I visited in Gruyeres.

Outside the Gruyeres cheese factory

Indoor restaurant in the factory where you can try fondue and many more Swiss dishes

One cannot leave Switzerland without visiting at least one chocolate factory. This was definitely one of the big highlights for me. In the country, there are several factories, and each has its unique story in chocolate making over the years. I added photos of the various factories I visited, which I highly recommend if you're visiting. For instance, at the Lindt/Lindor factory, you can sample an unlimited amount of chocolate, whether it be from the tasting dispensers or the samples you can try at the end of the tour. (Sidenote: if you buy chocolate at the factory store or the nearby outlet, they give you a few sample pieces for you to try!)

Callier factory

Lindt factory

Just outside the Laderach factory

Tristan artisan chocolate near my hometown Nyon

What I will really miss are the friends I made. I was with a small group of 18 students from different American colleges, and we all became close with each other in the first weeks. We have all promised to stay in touch afterwards and hopefully meet up in the near future. I am happy I got to meet such a wonderful group and that we supported each other throughout the program.

I have no regrets about doing this program. My options were either to be at Bates for the fall semester or go to Switzerland and immerse myself in an incredible experience. Going abroad was a no-brainer given that I already had two programs cancelled prior, so I made it a goal to go abroad regardless, and I made it work with the current circumstances. Now that I am back, I can say that I got plenty of exposure to different perspectives, a different everyday lifestyle, different foods, language, and culture. This is true not only in Switzerland, but also in the different countries that I got to visit. It did take some time to adjust to my Swiss life, but once I did, it became very natural. I would say that getting that exposure to different things in Switzerland helped me when I visited different countries since that initial "shock" was not as shocking having already gone through it once. I feel that this was especially helpful in my final trip to Georgia. In Switzerland, I followed a lifestyle similar to that of the locals, and doing the same in Georgia made it easier to get around, use the public transportation system, and generally feel more comfortable in my new surroundings.

Traditional Georgian Khachapuri (a very tasty dish) with dumplings and a bit of coffee on the side

View from the top of Tbilisi

A local grocery store in the Tbilisi streets

The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi

In short, the takeaway is that my time in a different country made it easier to adjust to different environments afterwards, which served me well. It has also better prepared me for future instances where I found myself in new cultural environments, making it easier to figure out how to adjust. One other thing I learned from this experience is that for my studies, I must move to a more international environment where I can easily get in touch with NGOs, government agencies, and professors in the field if I want to make the most out of it. I hope to start working on these action steps during the semester and in the summer as I begin my next journey into the world of graduate school.

At Bates, I have collaborated closely with Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary for my community-engaged work. Here, I have learned about the sanctuary's history, the initiatives over the years, and future plans and development. In the area, it is one of the best places to go to for a quick walk, a study break, and to learn more about the community. One of the things I have learned in my time there is how the human footprint can have many effects at different levels, ranging from global effects to local effects of human waste, human-induced climate change, and other environmental activity. In the case of Thorncrag, it would be more of the local effects of climate change and human activity, such as littering, invasive species, lifespan of trees, and invasive mitigation. 

Sunset near Lugano

As part of a local project case study, we selected a topic of interest and investigated it in the Swiss context. The topics in my group ranged from regional identities in the Swiss cantons, direct democracy, water security, energy, and regional climate change effects. I decided to focus on climate change in the context of the canton of Ticino, which is in the Swiss-Italian region. It is a notable example given the canton's broadly different climate from the rest of the country: it is warmer by about 5-8 degrees celsius depending on the season and has a Mediterranean feel to it. When I visited, the climate was pleasant and at times, fairly warm. This has started to change in recent years with more extreme weather events that can be attributed to climate change, such as wildfires happening closer to residential areas, high daytime temperatures (heat warnings), and lower air quality. My project investigated these effects via a short paper in which I got to interview a local who provided important insight about the region's developments.

According to my interviewee, the region is in need for better infrastructure and more public transportation options. Part of this is due to the larger amount of cross-border traffic between Lugano (one of the major cities of the canton) and northern Italian cities (there are many commuters in this region). What happens is that there are traffic jams in the morning and the evening, and all of the exhaust gases from the car get concentrated in the area. To remedy this, there is an upcoming project that will implement a tram system in Lugano in addition to the existing bus system. Another proposed idea is to add more trains around the rush hour times, which would be in the mornings and evenings. With the current options, trains tend to get full very quickly and can be rather inconvenient for many (I have also seen this first-hand when commuting to Geneva in the Swiss-French region). These projects would be headed by the Swiss railways and the local authorities.

The mountains seen from Lucerne (near central Switzerland)

When it comes to natural weather and phenomena patterns, the trends are slowly pointing to more extreme weather patterns as a result of climate change. For instance, in Locarno, which is a neighboring city a train ride away from Lugano, there have been wildfires over the years around the city. However, with changing weather dynamics, these wildfires are beginning to happen closer to residential areas. Wildfires occur in the canton as well, but according to the academic literature I studied for this project, in the case of Locarno, it will become a major issue if the wildfires keep happening closer to the city. One consequence of this is that it forces the residents to move elsewhere (climate refugee). It has been something discussed in my classes where these climate change induced weather patterns (not just in Switzerland but all over the globe) will eventually force more people to leave their homes than actual armed conflicts. Some of this is already happening in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia, and in the United States with hurricanes, wildfires, and heat waves.

Other notable points include the fact that heat waves will become more common. My interviewee explained that a few years ago during a heatwave in Lugano, the air quality became very poor and the temperatures were in the 30+ C range (at least 86 F), prompting local authorities to issue a curfew mandating people to remain indoors. These phenomena will only become more frequent based on the trends I observed, the academic literature I studied, and the first-hand account of these.

In addition to climate change and changing weather, there have been other challenges in the city pertaining to sustainability. One of these has to do with expanding public transportation options (see above) and promote green transportation. Other areas look at sustainable development in the city. Not long ago, there was a plan to create a football stadium, though this was put to a halt after many demonstrations demanding an end to the plan, which would have required removing green spaces in the city to make way for the stadium. Overall, the overview of Ticino canton in the context of climate change and sustainability initiatives is that it is already feeling the effects of climate change, whether it is the nature of wildfires, heat waves, and human-induced effects such as a strong reliance on vehicles. 

Climate change issues are not isolated to this region. Across the country, there are different effects. The mountainous regions are seeing some of the glaciers continue to melt, shorter winter sport seasons, and some invasive species moving in. Elsewhere, there have also been hail storms, which cause a lot of damage for homeowners and many insurance claims. This is not a limited list as there are likely to be more effects coming up in the next years. Switzerland is well positioned to deal with these issues given its vast financial resources, but that in itself should also serve to enact sustainable initiatives and projects that will yield short term and long term improvements on the climate change front.

I thought it was interesting to observe the effects of climate change in a different location. I also got a local perspective on the issue(s), which I felt was key in making my short paper more presentable and informative. There are many great landscapes in the country to admire, and it would be unfortunate to see these go away due to natural or human causes. I will leave you with more photos of the Swiss landscape as it stands today.

Nice hike in the St. Gallen Canton

A section of the hike (at first glance, you would think its one of the Thorncrag trails)

Snow covered mountains in the Interlaken area (south of Bern)

I only have a week left here in Perugia, and I’m really sad to be leaving. I’ll miss the city, the friends I have made here, and the day to day life that I have gotten to experience a lot. In particular, I think I’ll miss my roommates the most. I got very lucky and got placed in a lovely apartment with views overlooking the city and the distant mountains, and I got four other random roommates who have all become some of my closest friends. I know that we will keep in close contact when we all go to our respective homes; however, I will miss sharing a home and daily experiences with them.

Although I am really sad to be leaving Perugia, I am looking forward to being with my family again, especially because it will be the holiday season when I return home. I also am looking forward to coming back to Bates, as I haven’t seen a bunch of my friends, and the campus, in a long time. I think it will be really nice to return to campus for the winter and the spring, especially because I have not gotten to experience a short term at Bates before. 

One issue that I’ve been closely involved with in my Bonner work in Lewiston is gun control and gun violence, as I spent last year working with the Maine Gun Safety Coalition and legislators in the Maine state legislature. This issue doesn’t completely translate to my experience in my current context in Perugia, Italy; however, I have had some interesting conversations with other abroad students in my program about this issue throughout our time here. As American abroad students, unfortunately we are a lot more accustomed to gun violence and hearing about incidents involving guns than our counterparts in Italy are, according to my observations. There was one instance in which my friends and I were walking down a back street in Perugia and heard a loud noise that, to us, sounded similar to that of a gunshot. Our immediate, knee-jerk response was to duck and run; however, none of the Italians around us moved at all. We quickly learned that it had only been a car making noise on a street near us. This difference in reactions emphasized the extent to which gun violence is normalized in the United States. 

My time in Perugia has been incredible so far; however, there have been some minor challenges in regards to adjusting to a new culture and an atmosphere which I am not accustomed to. Although none of these challenges have been momentous or incredibly difficult to overcome, some of them have definitely been uncomfortable to navigate.

One of the first challenges that I faced occurred in the grocery store. There are two major differences between acceptable behavior in Italian grocery stores and acceptable behavior in American grocery stores, the first being that produce is partially checked out before arriving at the payment and bagging counter. Produce, such as any vegetables or fruits, all have a number assigned to them which is then used when weighing that particular food. After weighing, a sticker is printed out from a machine and must be placed on the bag containing your produce. I was fortunate enough to be informed how to handle this process before I went grocery shopping for the first time; however, many of my friends were not so lucky, and they faced criticism and blatant disdain and frustration when they did not adhere to Italian grocery shopping customs. At first, I thought this system of obtaining produce simply added an additional and unnecessary step to the shopping experience; however, after engaging in this cultural practice numerous times over the past month and a half, I found myself wondering why the United States does not implement a system like this. The Italian produce system actually simplifies the grocery shopping process and makes the checkout process in particular a lot faster and easier for shoppers and employees alike.

Another minor challenge I faced also occurred in the grocery store, but this time it involved checking out with Italian employees. The language barrier, while difficult to overcome in many situations, was fairly easy to deal with at the grocery store, as usually the only question asked is whether I need bags for my groceries. In Italy, you are responsible for bagging your own groceries, which may seem inconsequential; however, employees do not leave you time to do such bagging. Instead, your groceries are scanned, placed on a narrow counter, and left for you to deal with, while simultaneously you attempt to pay. Once payment is completed, the cashier immediately moves on to the next customer, leaving you no time to bag your groceries before the next person’s food is placed on top of yours. It took me a while to overcome this challenge, and I still struggle with it a little bit, as it creates a stressful situation which is exacerbated by the language barrier that exists between me and other individuals, both customers and employees, in the grocery store.

DISCLAIMER: These are some experiences of my time here and my thoughts about them. They are not a reflection of everything that you will encounter or everyone that you meet in Switzerland. I am simply sharing my thoughts and your experience(s) may be different.

In my time in Switzerland, I have come across many different perspectives on many subjects along with different ways of living and doing things. I don't always agree with what I come across but I think that it is important to have this exposure and to learn about the different approaches of Swiss life and the Swiss way of doing things. Some differences have been on contentious topics, such as migration, the public health crisis, and integration with the European Union. Other differences have been on standard everyday processes, such as submitting items, paperwork, picking up a mail package, or the usage of public facilities. I have also spoken with my host family about the many differences between the United States and Switzerland, and these conversations have been quite interesting.

The National Parliament building in Bern

For instance, my classmate and I have generally explained the higher education system of the United States to our host mother. In Switzerland, college is substantially cheaper and some master degree programs can be completed in a year. When we told her about the increasing prices of the already high college tuition, she found it hard to believe. Other times, we discussed the state of politics back in the States and how it is substantially different from the Swiss multi-party system. The aspect of direct democracy and referendums was also interesting to hear about from my host mother and in the classroom.

Coming here, I had in mind how the country has many mountain ranges, a strong policy of neutrality, security mechanisms in case of war, and that the Swiss are big on dairy and chocolates. I will say that much of this is true. We had a speaker come to one of our classes to explain cultural, political, and social aspects of Switzerland. One of his first statements was him saying that "Switzerland is not a mountainous country," though my classmates and I have agreed that it was more so a statement to get our attention more than anything else. He also explained that contrary to popular belief, there are no longer explosives on bridges that could be detonated to close off the country. There are still some hidden bunkers around the country that are meant for emergency use, though locations are kept undisclosed.

The mountains in Lugano, a city in the Swiss-Italian region of the country

To go back to the first points I made earlier, the Swiss have varying perspectives on today's main topics. From the academic literature I have read for class regarding EU integration, the French-speaking cantons are more receptive to the idea, while in the German-speaking cantons, there is more skepticism. On the topic of the public health crisis, it is similar to the United States in that there are many who have followed the public guidance on vaccines, mask wearing, and obtaining a COVID certificate (this is a QR code document that you apply for to enter most facilities, restaurants, bars, etc. The EU has its own version as well). There are also many who have refused to partake in these measures, whether it be for personal, political, or other reasons. I still find it interesting to hear these different perspectives because the reasoning here will be different from that in the United States. I get to learn about the Swiss-European take on similar issues from home, an outsider's perspective on American politics, and a Swiss perspective on what non-Swiss people think of their country.

Coming here, I have found it very rewarding to be able to get many perspectives not just on the topics above, but also in the classroom content. We have had speakers from different institutions from different countries, ranging from Southeastern Europe, China, India, Iran, Brazil, and the EU. In my time at Bates, I have not had these many different perspectives on international affairs, diplomacy, international humanitarian law, and/or American politics in my classes. I believe it is valuable to see these different points of view even if you don't agree with them entirely. It serves to get out of the "American bubble" that one can get comfortable in while at home. The academic content has also been from different points of view, which provides for great discussions in class, such as comparing the American perspective to the Chinese perspective on international development and economic growth. While we still have our beliefs and notions about the rest of the world, it is refreshing to hear something different that I would have not otherwise been able to get if I stayed in the States.

Being overseas has also made it clear how American soft power has influenced things elsewhere. Many people get their beliefs about America through Hollywood films, songs, or by watching the news. The Swiss and other Europeans also have their beliefs and notions about American institutions and ways of life, which can at times be the stereotypical western lifestyle in the plains or the typical city life of New York or Los Angeles (here, these seem to be the most well-known American cities based on my interactions so far). Other times, the Swiss are right about how expensive college is, the problems with the American two-party political system, or the difficulties of applying for a visa/entering the country. There are also strong criticisms about American intervention around the world or general anti-American sentiment, meaning that at times, I have had to keep a lower profile as to not attract attention (this is more so the case if you are near embassies, the UN in Geneva, or anywhere where there may be a protest). It is something to keep in mind with how you present yourself to others, what you say, what you wear, and your world outlook.

National Parliament building in Warsaw, Poland. Perspectives here are also different from those in Switzerland and the United States given Poland’s history during World War II and other past events.

The land of fondue, top-tier chocolate, and endless adventures; these are just some of the several traits that make Switzerland what it is. There are so many picturesque points, and whether it be the beaches on Lake Geneva or the mountains visible in the distance from your apartment, there is something for everyone to marvel at and enjoy.

Lake Geneva/Lac Leman and the Swiss/Geneva flags

To start off, I actually had no idea I would be coming here. My original off-campus study plan involved me going to Serbia for a semester program focusing on transitional justice initiatives in Southeastern Europe. However, due to low program enrollment and the public health crisis, that was not possible. Luckily, I was offered the option to go to Switzerland for a program focusing on international relations and multilateral diplomacy, which is not only directly tied to my politics major, but also allows me to explore various topics within the realm of international relations.

The first week was the typical honeymoon phase. I was (and still am) amazed by how clean the country is. There is almost no trash on the sides of the road, and there is actually a robust waste management program that incentivizes people to produce as little waste as possible. Unlike water sources in the United States, many water sources here are very clear, such as Lake Geneva. I was pleasantly surprised to see it.

Another thing that impresses me is the public transport. Of course, public transport in Europe will generally be many times better than that of the United States, but seeing it myself in action is quite neat. For instance, my classes are in Geneva, the largest city in the western part of Switzerland. I live in a small town outside of Geneva called Nyon, which is a 15-20 minute train ride from Nyon. There are trains running each morning on 10-15 minute intervals, and more often than not, the time on the departure board is the time it leaves. Essentially, be on time for your train because the train system here is robust and efficient. While it usually is expensive to use the train for long-distances, my program gave all of us a Swiss travel pass to use on public transportation. I'm not sure how much it costs but my guess would be a few thousand CHF (local currency) because the pass is for unlimited use until our last day here. In other words, I can go from Nyon to Bern or to Interlaken as many times as I wish at any time of the day/night. Just make sure to have your pass as train staff checks for it. Otherwise, you could be fined in addition to paying the full train fare.

Train Network and Routes of the SBB (Swiss Federal Railways)

Being in Switzerland also means being in the land of incredible tasting chocolate. When I arrived, I was impressed by how much chocolate I saw at the stores. There are so many different brands, some local, and some national ones. When you travel around different towns, and even in the major city train stations, such as Geneva and Lausanne, you will find a chocolate store. Any chocolate fanatic must try the various chocolates available here.

Before coming here, I thought that Switzerland was a German speaking country (which it is to an extent). Much of it depends on which part of the country you are in. For example, where I am, which is in the Geneva area, is the French speaking region of the country. This would be most of what is west of Bern, the national capital. The north and central parts of the country are the German speaking parts, such as Zürich, Bern, Basel, and Luzern. Towards the southern tip close to Milan is the Italian speaking region, which includes cities like Lugano. In the Southeast, there is a fourth language spoken called Romansch. However, it is the least spoken out of the four and there are only a few thousand speakers of the language, which means it is unlikely you will encounter it outside that part of the country. When you travel, you will mainly hear French, German, and some Italian. Most people here know English, but it helps knowing a bit of the regional language so that when you order at a restaurant, you will know how to explain the portion size you want, whether you want carbonated water or standard water, or in general, greeting and thanking people. In my case, my Spanish has helped to an extent, and it has made French learning easier.

Swiss Breakfast at my homestay (lots of bread!)

In a new country, one is bound to have cultural shocks, being exposed to something that may be out-of-the-ordinary back home, or just general adjustments to a new life. One of these has been with my homestay. While I have not had bad experiences so far with my homestay family, the new rules and cultural norms have definitely been an adjustment. My family lives in an apartment in Nyon walking distance from the train station. There are lots of people living here but each apartment has lots of space inside. This means that quiet hours are precious! No showers after 10pm (with limited exceptions). No flushing the toilet in the middle of the night! The shower rule has not been too bad as I already showered around that time anyway, but I'm still mindful of not using it too late. Also, make sure to follow dining etiquette, including waiting for everyone to be seated, using and placing forks and knives correctly while eating, and taking the right amount of food as being respectful to this will go a long way. Dinner is always at 7pm at my house, unless mentioned otherwise. Most of my day is spent in Geneva, so this is not a problem for me. I want to note that these are the rules at my apartment/homestay. I have spoken with my peers on the program, and at their homestays, there are similar expectations. However, each household is different, so some may have more leeway with shower rules or dinner hours. When in doubt, ask your homestay parents about their expectations.

Another major shock in Switzerland (even when knowing about it before arrival) is definitely the cost of living. Lots of products, including food, dining out, utilities, houses, and apartments, are all more expensive than that of the United States. It is said that Geneva and Zürich are among the most expensive cities in the world to live in. From what my host brother has said about renting and buying property here, that is not a surprise. Apartments the size of an average home in the United States can reach high six-figures and into seven figures easily! Also, my host brother mentioned that here, one can make monthly payments on an apartment (similar to a house) and eventually pay it off. From what I'm aware, in the United States, you can only rent an apartment and that is that. However, salaries are much higher here, which offsets those costs. Luckily, my program was aware about these costs, so they gave us a generous stipend of a few hundred CHF for lunch. What I have done is limit going out to only the weekends, and on weekdays, I go to the local supermarket chains (Migros or Coop) to get a sandwich, some snacks, and a drink, which is around CHF 6-10 (about $7-$12). I end up spending about CHF 30-50 a week.

Nyon, Vaud

One of the main things that has kept me a bit uneasy is the constantly-changing list of public health requirements. On September 13, all individuals are required to have a Swiss COVID pass, which is a QR code showing that you are free from COVID and/or have been vaccinated. You need it to visit museums, bars, restaurants, and libraries, no exceptions. Fines are a heavy penny. To get a pass, you need to submit an application with your vaccination information, Swiss phone number, an ID (such as a passport) and your homestay address. You then answer a few questions. Because everyone has to do this now, application processing times are now several weeks long. You can get a temporary pass by taking a COVID test and having it be negative, but it is more convenient to just get the actual pass. The Swiss federal government became aware of these long waiting times, so it provided more guidance. Until October 10, you can enter venues, bars, restaurants, libraries, and museums using and ID (passport) and your vaccination card. This has relieved many of us as we can temporarily use this as we wait for our actual passes. Otherwise, many of the requirements on-campus at Bates are similar here: masks required in indoor areas and public transport, proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken 72 hours before entry, and adherence to these guidelines.

Castle on the French side of Lake Geneva (Yvoire, France)

On a similar note, the paperwork for the program (and arrival procedures) has been a lot. It is not as bad now, but in the beginning, I had to go to the local immigration office to register my arrival, fill out homestay paperwork, and then pay to process the information. We would be reimbursed that amount as long as we had a signature from the immigration staff confirming we went there and the receipt. Well, there were some issues with getting the signatures not just on my end, but with many of my peers as well. Our program staff realized this and instead made it so that if you only have the receipt, you can still get the reimbursement. If you have both, great, but for many of us, this was a tricky situation to navigate.

Swiss regional festival with lots of cows, traditional music, and awesome views

All of these things aside, I have definitely enjoyed it here. Even in my hometown, I can go to the lake and relax there or take a boat that goes across the lake to France. It is easy to move around here and to access lots of picturesque places. The photos above are from a regional festival 3 hours away where local farmers bring down their cows as the fall starts. It is very cool to witness. Afterwards, there is traditional music and lots of local food, such as sausages with fries, raclette (melted cheese), and of course, chocolate. I will close off by leaving you with one of my favorite moments of the trip so far: enjoying some Toblerone with the Matterhorn in view!

I am in Perugia, which is a very old city in central Italy. It is on the top of a hill in the Umbra region and full of gorgeous views on all sides of the city walls. The buildings are all very old stone, and many are painted faded yellows and pinks. The streets are busy during the evenings and the city square is full to the brim with people late at night. I already feel as though I am at home, as the apartment I am staying in is very comfortable and homey, with paintings covering almost every inch of the walls and big windows with lots of natural light. The food has been incredible so far, and I have really enjoyed finding outdoor cafés to drink cappuccinos at in the morning. 

Golan dag,

Currently in Akuyrari, a few days after the host stay has ended. 

Right off the bat, I was charmed with my host family. Our host mom hugged us as soon as she saw us and told us that she’s part of the punk rock generation- always reassuring to hear! Our house was right on beach where the water led out’ve the fjord and into the ocean. The first thing I really felt was how delicious the air is. It’s sweet, salty, crisp, and fresh. I’m a little upset that I can’t bottle it up. 

Our host parents were very excited for us to try all things Icelandic. After dropping our things off in our new home and picking our rooms (there were 3 of us in total with our 2 host parents) we went to buy food for dinner. Isafjordur has a huge fishing industry so all the fish was fresh and locally caught. We got cod, which is very normal for me, but my host mom wanted us to try a seasonal food: fish egg sacks. Basically, it’s the uterus of the fish with all the eggs inside and it’s boiled then sliced up and fried with butter. Iceland used to be a subsistence oriented country and that culture still remains with food, meaning that all parts of the fish are used. 

I was intrigued, but also cautious. The concept of the fish egg sack scared me more than the actual food itself, which when cooked looked and tasted like pink pollenta. I didn’t want to be rude and felt that study abroad is about pushing onself to try new things. Food is a huge part of culture, so I went for it. I put a slice on my plate and, addmittedly, slathered it in the Trader Joe’s jalapeno sauce that I’d brought with me and I ate those fish eggs. Like I said, it was the concept more than the actual food that played with my mind. I practiced some intense self control during that meal to not show how affected I was by the fish! 

Hello from Iceland! After a very rocky road to get here (think COVID tests before boarding, increased restrictions, etc) all 18 of my study abroad peers and I made it. 

We’re starting with a 7day quarantine in Keflavik, right next to the airport. The hostel is a renovated miltary base with nothing but other hostels and open land as far as the eyes can see. Everyday, my roommate and I schedule activities around our meals and try not to go crazy. We’ve been working out each day and going on long walks (if the wind/rain isn’t too intense) and getting to know each other.  It’s kind’ve like rehab if I’m being honest! It’s also nice to not jump right into the program, but to have some adjustment time. 

From what I’ve seen, Iceland is beautiful. The air is so clean! I’m very excited to get out there and see the mountains and ocean. I’ve learned very quickly that layers are the way to win here. The wind is sometimes 35mph- something I’ve never expeienced. It’s also getting brighter very quickly and soon the sun will be up most of the day. 

The night sky is amazing. I can see Orion’s Belt, the Big Dipper, Cassiopia, and so many more. Also- we saw the northenr lights on our first night! They weren’t very bright, but they danced in the sky in a soft green ribbon. I understood immediatley how people belived they were the bridge to Valhalla- the Norse afterlife. 

March 26th, 2020

SIT: South Africa - Multiculturalism & Human Rights

Matt Suslovic

In keeping with the uncertainty of the times, I’m unsure how to approach my second and final blog post. I expected that I would be writing about how I felt leaving South Africa and coming home after I had ample time to reflect in the wrapping-up phase of my program. Instead, I’m writing this a week after I returned home from the airport. Between the lingering adrenaline of an unanticipated early departure, the shock of coming home to this new normal, and taking time to just breathe, sleep, and recover, this is the first time I’ve been in the right headspace to reflect on my time in South Africa.

In the week before I left Cape Town, my friends and I talked a lot about how hard it was to remember when Covid19 wasn’t looming over our minds, conversations, and plans about the future. It was so jarring to realize that we were talking nostalgically about a past that was less then a week old but felt like a lifetime ago. Now that I’m back home under self-quarantine with my family, my memories of being 7,700 miles away a little over a week ago feel unreliable, shaky, and dissociative from my current reality. I’m guessing this is a common feeling amongst many of the students like me who came home from studying abroad abruptly because of this global pandemic. When I was in the Joburg Airport waiting to board my flight home I realized that I didn’t have a single gift or souvenir from South Africa that I was bringing back with me. I just assumed that I would take care of that later on. This was a fitting metaphor for how I felt emotionally about leaving so abruptly. I expected that saying goodbye to the people and places I got to know here would be hard and also fulfilling. I imagined that I’d return to my first homestay family for a farewell dinner, a final round of penalty shoot-outs with my host brother, and a really satisfying hug with my host mama. I was going to try to surprise them and my friends with a heartfelt message in isiXhosa that I was going to rehearse in secret. I was looking forward to living with our final homestay family in Bo-Kaap where I was curious to learn more about the intersection of Muslim and Coloured identity in Cape Town (and to make it to the top of Table Mountain). I was excited to have one more fat cake and try some Cape Malay dishes. The list goes on.

I’m trying not to dwell on the “I wish I/we…” and instead focus on the “I’m glad I/we…”. It’s in that reframing that I feel I’ve been the most enlarged by my experiences for the past two months. Undeniably, I’ve learned so much about negotiating my positionally, thinking about harm and agency when entering new spaces in relation to my identities, and the parallels and differences between the last four centuries of history in South Africa and the United States. I know these things and many more will continue to impact me and my work for many years to come. Yet, one of the most salient lessons from this experience for me has been the powerful difference for my emotional health that treating difficult and unpleasant moments as gifts of learning makes. It’s super cliché and I’m nowhere near done with interrogating this idea based on my own positionally. This reassures me that I’m not coming home empty-handed, but it does leave me rethinking how reciprocal the learning was between me, my program, and the people and places we were with.

Sala kakuhle South Africa,

-Matt

Sunset over Table Mountain from my first homestay in Langa (a township 20 minutes west of downtown Cape Town).

I felt a little closer to home when I came across a Bates mug in the kitchen of my classroom.

We had 3 weeks of intensive Xhosa language classes.

Oh how I’ll miss this chain...

Can’t go to Cape Town without trying to spot some penguins!

The building of the South African Constitutional Court is ripe with symbolic imagery; ranging from the cow hides draped over the desks in the background to the bricks that were reused from the demolished Apartheid-era prison that stood where the court now stands.

Nelson Mandela’s home in Soweto. The police fired upon his house several times (you can see one of the bullet holes above the window).

Our host sister took me and some classmates on the regular evening cow herding trip when we were in a small village called Tchabo.

Views from the Cape of Good Hope.

After an early morning hike up Lion’s Head.

Hannah McKenzie, studying in Rabat, Morocco.

          Last week, thanks to the Bates Barlow Grant for Cultural Enrichment, I traveled alone to Dakar, Senegal. I stayed with the family of my French teacher from high school and spent much of my time talking to local people to explore another side of the migration trend from Senegal to Morocco (in hopes to reach Europe). In addition to my informal interviews, I spent time with the family eating traditional home-cooked meals, watching soccer, and exploring the city.           This was my first experience in research conducted in such a short time frame—and my first time traveling alone. It was great practice for me to initiate informal conversations with people to then enter into planned interview topics. This was actually much easier than I expected, as what I experienced of Senegalese culture was that people are very open to engaging in new conversations. It is this “cultural openness,” as I’ll call it, that interested me most and that forced me to think critically about my own culture.          I saw this openness to interaction with strangers in a few different ways. For example, on the public buses, I saw that a person pays for their ride by passing their money to the stranger sitting in front of them, who then does the same until the money reaches the front of the bus. Strangers are willing to talk to each other, to trust each other in small ways like this. When I needed help with issues I encountered as a solo traveler—for example, when I had no money to get to the airport for my departure flight and learned that all banks and ATMs are closed on Sundays—people always responded with an immediate willingness to help. There is a saying I heard people say over and over again during my time in Dakar: On est ensemble. (“One is together.”)          This openness that I encountered in my interviews and generally in Dakar continued to amaze me and also give me pause. I believe I have developed a sort of suspiciousness of strangers growing up in the U.S., a form of judging (or even avoiding) people on behalf of my safety. In Dakar, I visited the largest mosque in West Africa with Lamine, one of the brothers of my French teacher. Outside of the mosque, I was approached by a man, who quickly offered to cover me in an extra shawl he had with him so that I would be allowed inside the mosque. It was a simple and altruistic gesture, yet I found myself at first doubting it. Why would this stranger want to give me that shawl? Is there some other meaning I can read under his willingness to help me? Should I say no thank you? The interaction felt so out of place from what I have known in the U.S. I see the Senegalese openness in contrast to the U.S.— an individualistic culture and, in my experience, one in which people are fairly closed-off from interaction with strangers.           As not only an American but a solo female traveler, too, I entered Dakar prepared to protect myself with a healthy level of suspicion in a city that was unfamiliar to me. Despite this suspicion, though, I also traveled there determined to meet people and to learn. I had great conversations with people in Dakar about the migration topics in which I am interested, and I am proud to say that I made a few new friends. The major challenge of my travel was my process of oscillating between thoughts of how to both protect myself by not being too trusting of people and also to be open to engaging in conversations with people whom I didn’t know. I’m inspired by the openness I experienced from people in Senegal and I hope to continue pushing myself to be more like that, too, while also maintaining my safety. It is a challenge that excites me, a key part of what I envision for a life of many years abroad.           The world feels very big right now and I am continuously amazed by the opportunities I am able to access as a student at Bates. 

Last blog I talked a lot about how new everything was, the public transportation system, the classes, the language, the apartment. It feels like I was paying attention to all the small details like I am in a museum tat I have never been to. Now I can put my headphones on and walk on the streets and reach my destination without even thinking about it or feeling like i am a stranger to these streets. I truly feel home. I have so many homes now that I don’t even know what it means to be homesick. I miss my family back in Jordan and I definitely miss Bates and everything about it, even the fact that 50% of the time my face hurts when I go outside. All that being said, every time I think about how soon I will be leaving, I start missing Denmark already.

I have done a lot of new things and I have fallen in love with so many new corners and reflections. I have traveled with a friend, wrote a paper in a day (for the very first time), meditated in Florence, cooked new recipes. But at the same time, I have missed a train, burnt some chicken, and got yelled at on the street. I now truly understand what they mean by “abroad is amazing but do not expect it to be perfect.” My favorite part of this month was that I got to travel and see Venice, a place I have only dreamed of seeing ever since I was young. Below is one of my favorite picture that I have taken there.

Besides that, I have grown so much in and outside of the classroom. I have visited an open prison, a drug injection clinic, a meditation center, an atheist society, and so many more places that made me see a new perspective, new radical solutions, or just new experiences. I would say that Bates was the place where I learned the most critical thinking skills in my life. The ability to critical think and pinpoint what is right and wrong in something is not only important to understand it more, but also to better it. In one of my psychology classes, I expressed some of my critical thoughts regarding a theory related to peak performance and the teacher joked that he would fail me if I don’t stop being this critical. It was interesting to see how critical I became because of how much the professors at Bates reward this kind of thinking yet it might have been a little overwhelming to a professor in Denmark. Now I am encouraged to maybe appreciate something as it is and not to only think about criticizing it. I feel like I would always have that critical side of me, but it was a good experience to practice containing my thoughts and not be as vocal in certain settings. I still think about how the there are universal core values such as harmony that are just implemented differently in different places because of different cultures. It puts me at ease to understand that there is no right or wrong way to do something. There are different ways and they all have different pros and cons.

Anyways, how gorgeous is this picture?

Nour Al Twal 

DIS - Copenhagen

I’ve been in South Africa a little over a month now and (forgive the cliché) but it feels like I’ve been here for much longer. My memory of leaving home with piles of snow and slush and waking up to the jarring sight of palm trees and Table Mountain 48 hours later feels like it was lifetimes ago. Even my memory of saying goodbye to my first homestay family less than a week ago feels like it took place in an entirely different epoch. In the first few weeks of my program I felt nervous about whether I had the emotional endurance to make it to the finish line of the semester when the beginning already felt all-consuming. Mostly, I just felt nervous that I was going to spend most of my time counting down the time to when I would be coming home and would miss out on the important moments of learning, joy, and connection (big and small) that the privilege of studying in another country offers. The best way I’ve found to cope with these feelings and anxieties has been giving myself permission to feel them and recognize that they are common reactions to being in a new place, have a lot of potential for learning and growth to offer, and get easier with time. The near-constant intellectual and sensory stimulation also helps me feel more grounded (and appreciative) in the present. It feels so good to be learning so much from readings, classes, guest speakers, excursions, chats with our taxi driver, and the people in my host family. After our first week of classes I wrote in my journal, “It’s safe to say I feel like a pretty content scrambled egg.” That sentiment encapsulated my state of mind for many weeks. And even as I’m starting to feel more settled in Cape Town, new experiences, places, and homestays have kept me feeling like that pretty content scrambled egg in one way or another.

Almost every day offers reassurance that I’m in the ideal stretch zone of comfort and discomfort for learning (though it’s only been two weeks, so this is probably a premature assessment). An important lesson I’m absorbing each day is the reminder of my positionally within my program group, Cape Town, and South African society in general. My positionally has not always been comfortable but it’s certainly always felt privileged in every space I’ve been in yet. Whether it has been taking the Metro Rail, walking around the township where we stayed for three weeks, sitting in the very white crowds at a Sunday concert at the local botanical garden, or walking along the streets of Cape Town at night, I have been trying to keep an intersectional lens for understanding how and where I fit into very explicit and implicit boxes of race, gender, national identity, and other perceived markers of identity in this different and familiar social context. I’m also trying to figure out where I can push back against those boxes as I’ve tried to do back home.

When my friends and family back home ask me about Cape Town I don’t know how to describe it. It’s undoubtably one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Yet as our academic director reminded us, beauty is incredibly specific to those of us who can eat, sleep, socialize, and recreate in some of the most spectacular spaces around the city. I’ve been sitting with what he said about beauty being “in the eyes of the land holder.” I’ve tried to keep to telling others that I’ve found Cape Town unparalleled in its natural beauty and its diversity of people compared to any other place I’ve been. I also think it exemplifies some of most striking visual examples of the surviving legacies of racially-discriminatory legislation I’ve ever seen. From housing and schooling to contested monuments and higher education, the complicated, violent, inspiring, and powerful history of South Africa’s past is more and more evident as I learn more every day. The same is true for the uncanny (and eerie) similarities I’m drawing between South Africa and the United States.

Currently I’m staying in a yurt in a small rural village called Tchabo in the Eastern Cape (about 50 minutes from the Indian Ocean) where we’ll be for a week before flying back to Cape Town. It’s windy, spectacular, hilly, and abundant with cows and chickens. My most pressing hopes are to: play a big game of soccer, learn more about the history of Tchabo from my host mama, and practice how to pitch in cricket with my host sister.

Miss you Bonners!

I have never lived in a city before! Everything around me feels, sounds, and smells different. Nonetheless, the process of getting used to what is different is enjoyable to me. It’s silly to think that 4 weeks ago I got lost going back home, or that I asked the bus drivers to let me know when we reach my stop because I could not recognize the announcements, or that I even got in the wrong metro. All stops sounded so foreign at the beginning and now I know which stops sound closer to home. I live with 3 other students who attend US institutions and 2 other Danish students. We have weekly family dinners where it feels like we could sit, eat, talk, and laugh forever. My roommate and I cooked for today’s weekly dinner. It felt nice cooking for more than myself. I feel like I belong. But I still try to not feel so comfortable to the daily routine that I have created for myself. I am still trying to discover new ways to go to classes, and make new friends, and discover new places to be more productive with my homework.

Strangers make eye contact and smile and I love it. I take every chance I get to start conversations with locals. On day I asked a lady what cooking cream I should buy, and she talked to me for about 10 minutes about cooking creams and different kinds of dishes and desserts. She was so sweet and that interaction made my day. Another day, I asked a man about which bus I should take, and he taught me how to navigate the buses here. He ended up giving me wrong directions, but it only meant that I got to see a new part of this city. I noticed that people here speak their mind and might even say things that would be considered problematic back at Bates. However, it is essential to have an open mind and understand how the norms are different from a place to another and how that difference can lead to different perspectives regarding different issues. We talk about this in my Positive Psychology class as well. That no matter how different social and cultural norms are, there are core values that are universal and that is what we should think about and focus on to remove the barriers.

Many times I am perceived as an American since DIS is an American program, and other times I am asked a lot of questions about my home country Jordan. I signed up for a host family and I have visited them once and we had a nice dinner together. My host brother asked me if women have rights in Jordan. I am always faced with this burden of presenting my country in a beautiful way that doesn’t fit the negative stereotypes while at the same time being honest and speaking my mind about essential issues that I fight for. One side of me thought that this question might be problematic, I did feel a little triggered. Another part of me embraced that question and answered it the best it could. I have gotten used to being uncomfortable. I have grown so much since high school and it was all because of the slow, continuous, and painful uncomfortable situations. I feel very comfortable now in Copenhagen but I promised myself to keep looking for discomfort and embrace it. I am living in a new city now after all.

Nour Al Twal 

Copenhagen

It seems that I am now living in Morocco! I still can’t quite believe it. I’m studying through a School for International Training program called “Multiculturalism & Human Rights” based in Rabat, the capital. Last week, the group stayed in a hotel and had orientation programs to help acquaint us with the city and culture. So far, SIT has proved remarkably organized. It’s run and taught by local staff, all of whom are very welcoming and knowledgeable.

Now, I’m living with my host family in the medina, the old part of the city. The medina has narrow, winding alleys that are easy to get lost in (as has become quite clear). Many of the buildings are white, tan, or orange, and most have distinct accents of various other colors. Somehow it seems that every single door in the medina is in its own unique aesthetic style; they’re all beautiful. The medina, in addition to living right by the ocean, has been wonderful since I arrived and has made me very excited about the semester.

My primary concern is about my safety and comfort as a woman in Morocco. There is a lot of street harassment and women must exercise increased caution. I intend to be very careful—not walking around the medina after dark, performing in the proper way to try to avoid harassment, etc. It remains a daily challenge and worry.

Despite this concern, though, it’s been incredible to be with women here, especially my host mom and sister and their neighbors. I’ve begun seeing how the adult women in these two families care for each other and raise their children side by side, socializing most days and sharing tea and dinner in each other’s homes often. I am looking forward to thinking in new ways about gender, friendship, power, and choice.

Honestly, words can’t even describe how much of a sweet and sour experience it was leaving the airport from Havana, Cuba to the US. When I was in the taxi on my way there I was reminiscing the memories that I have made in those places that I was passing on my way to the airport. I felt like I was leaving a part of myself and a family that I had made in Cuba which is very interesting because I remember the moment a step foot into Cuba on August 28th and didn’t know a soul in that country. The relationships that I created with my host family, friends in the IFSA program and Cuban friends are forever unforgettable bonds that will stay with me forever. Along with unforgettable memories that will always hold a special place in my heart for a lifetime.

In coming home I look forward to seeing my mom and my sister that are the most important people in my life. An aspect that I really learned in Cuba was to appreciate the things that I have in the United States such as being fortunate enough to having unlimited connection for me to be able to connect with anyone from wherever they are. Where as in Cuba due the restricted internet access and cellular connection one has to adjust to those difficulties. Honestly, it was a tough adjustment at first in not being able to easily to talk to my family at any time of the day and for as long as I wanted. However, as a privilege as well I know in having data in Cuba is a luxury because of how expensive it is to have data and one had to learn the many different ways as well to conserve it as long as we could. The way people communicated with one another was different than in the US due to the adjustments that the people have made in the society. In the US we take this for granted on a day to day basis where we do not need to think about turning on and off our data or the overly cost of minutes talking over the phone with someone.

I have changed in many more ways than I had even thought of, definitely came back home much more conscious of my surroundings and grateful for having the things that I have. As well with personally have grown to be much more of an independent individual and more adventurous in not being scared of trying new things. I see the world ahead of my with another lense and perspective that I gained from my experience in Cuba. Since I remember when I was going off to Cuba my mother was a bit nervous and just questioning why I chose Cuba to be the country I wanted to study abroad in when there were no other students interested in my college in coming with me or even recent students that have gone for me to get more information about studying abroad in Cuba. I took the risk to study abroad in Cuba not knowing much about it and ended up creating such a strong bond with the culture, place and people that is unexplainable.