A German Train Ride

May 22, 2015

A German Train Ride

A while ago I watched this TED Talk about how Slow TV in Norway was becoming a trend, this inspired me while I was riding the train to Neuschwanstein Schloss (castle) to make my own version of slow tv in the form of the train ride.

WARNING: I filmed this on the cellphone, so the video quality is not superb and looks better small vs fullscreen. And my video editing skills are basic Windows Movie Maker skills.

I hope you like the video!

Also you can watch the TED Talk here - http://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_hellum_the_world_s_most_boring_television_and_why_it_s_hilariously_addictive?language=en

Summer Program at Hallym University in Korea!!

I was in Korea from June 29th until July 20th to attend a summer program at Hallym University in  Chuncheon, Korea.

The very first day, at the airport, there was a singer or some famous person coming out of the same gate as me at the same time, so I could not find the person who told me that he would be there to pick me up.  I was calm enough to go to the information desk and ask to announce his name and to come meet me in front of the gate. Finally, I found the person and the driver. The person who came to pick me up (one of the mentors who I will explain later) and I talked for about 3 hours in a car until we arrived at a dormitory in Hallym University.  When I got into my room, there was no one but stuff so I could tell that I had a roommate. But it would've been really helpful if I had someone who I could ask questions near me... Luckily, I asked for WI-FI password so I was not bored or afraid to be alone!

The second day was the orientation day for the summer program students. There were people from United States, Australia, Austria, Malaysia, China, Spain, and Japan (only me). And here I knew about the existence of Korean mentors. They are Hallym University students and they joined the program to help international students who do not know about school or any other things they need help with. I thought it was such a good idea because they took us international students to their favourite restaurants, singing rooms, shopping, and helped us to get to know each other and have fun as much as possible during the stay in Korea. They were very friendly and kind!! So at the orientation, we learnt some rules about school and dorm, and listened to a brief explanation of this course, and took a test to divide us into beginner and intermediate groups. For dinner, we went to eat Korean BBQ and papingsu which is a shaved ice dessert usually served with ice-cream, fruits, rice cakes, or sweet red bean paste. I loved the papingsu very much so I ate it so many time during this stay!!

Fruits papingsu and cereal papingsu! Yummy!!!

The next day, we had a Korean language class in the morning until lunch time and there we knew the result of our Korean test. We were not told our scores but I was lucky that I didn't have to go to the beginner class because I already took a Korean 100 course at Camosun College. Our teacher was a very funny person and he talked mostly in Korean so at first, it was kind of overwhelming but i got used to it day by day and actually I enjoyed his classes even though sometimes I didn't know why people were laughing! haha He taught Korean slang and young people's life-style. He taught us not only the Korean language but also other useful places to stay or live in Korea.

Our Korean class teacher in the middle!

The Australian Experience

By Natasha Gros, Exchange student in Australia

After 22 hours of travel I finally found myself in Melbourne. I had arranged airport pickup before my departure so when I got off the plane there was someone waiting for me and they brought me and the other international students who had arrived that day to our accommodation. I decided to go with on-campus accommodation at Swinburne residences, although it is really expensive the location is definitely worth it, right on campus and close to grocery stores as well as a street with lots of shops, restaurants, and cafes, it’s also a 10-15 minute train ride to the city center. I got a three bedroom apartment so I am sharing with two other girls who are from Australia; We hit it off right away which has made living here enjoyable.

The weather here in August was rainy and cold, it was hard coming from Canada’s summer, especially since I only brought a limited amount of cold weather clothes. I was informed that it was one of Melbourne’s worst winters but now it is spring and the weather is wonderful, so all is well!

The first week was very busy; there was international student orientation as well as first year student orientation which I attended as well. At orientation they guided us through some things that we needed for our time here, what we should expect here in Australia, they told us about their culture and teaching styles, and informed us of all the services they provide for their students. In the first week I also set up a bank account with ANZ, a cellphone account with Optus (they have awesome month to month plans), and got a myki card which you can use for travel on all trams, trains, and busses. Swinburne international also organized a bunch of events during the first week so that you could meet up with all the other students as well as enjoy some free food. They also organized events that allowed us to explore the city and its attractions, such as the street art, laneways, Chinatown, museums and art galleries. Swinburne also does semester trips which go to the surrounding areas of Melbourne, I went on one to Phillip Island where I got to see the little penguins, go sand surfing, and see some beautiful beaches and cliff walks, they also do a trip to the Heallesville Sanctuary and a surfing trip.

The city of Melbourne is amazing, they have really awesome restaurants, shops, and cafes and although it’s a big city they still have a lot of parks and gardens scattered throughout which are nice to visit and get a break from city living. They have a big market in the city center and I recommend getting fruits and vegetables there as they are much cheaper than at the supermarket. Footy, AFL, or Australian League Football is a big sport here and I recommend going to a game, even if you have no idea what is going on it is still a lot of fun. Melbourne has a lot of teams so there are a lot of games going on around the city. Hawthorn is the big team here and that’s the team that most of Swinburne roots for. I also really enjoy Swinburne as a school, I have all my classes at the Hawthorn Campus so I don’t know what the other campuses are like, but Hawthorn is not too big (although it seemed huge and overwhelming at first) and the teachers are really nice. I have found the majority of people at school and around the city to be very approachable and friendly, there are always the few that are not but I would expect that anywhere!\

For mid-semester break I went to New Zealand’s north island with a few friends from school. We rented a campervan and spent the week partaking in various activities. We visited Hobbiton to see firsthand where part of Lord of the Rings was filmed, we went to a Maori cultural dinner and were immersed in their culture, we also went white-water rafting, caving, canyon swinging, and of course went on plenty of hikes and enjoyed New Zealand’s natural hot springs. New Zealand is a beautiful country and I would recommend travelling there, but the costs for activities can add up quickly so make sure it’s within your budget!

The weather during the spring here is very temperamental, one day it will be rainy and 15 degrees and the next day it will be 28, it gives you a nice break from the hot days but do not expect to go to the beach everyday as spring is considered their rainy season! However, if the forecast for the weekend is supposed to be nice then I would recommend doing the Great Ocean Road, which is a stretch of road that goes along the coast as well as into the green hinterland. A group of my friends and I rented a van from Melbourne and made a weekend trip out of it by renting a house at the midway point of the Great Ocean Road. We spent a day driving all the way to the end to see all the attractions like the Twelve Apostles, The Grotto, Gibsons Steps, and more! And then we spent another day at the beach in Lorne, the water was still a bit cold as it was the middle of October but when it’s hot out its perfect to cool down in. I know that there are options to do a guided tour of the Great Ocean Road but I would recommend getting a group together and doing it in your own time. Most car rental places will only rent to 21 year olds or older so that should be taken into account when planning your trip, and if you’re worrying about driving on the opposite side of the car, on the opposite side of the road, it’s weird at first but you get used to it!

At the beginning of November is the Spring Racing Carnival, which is a huge week-long lavish horse-racing event, with the main race being the Melbourne Cup Race. It is considered the “race that stops a nation” and although I have never watched horse racing in Canada, I certainly got into it here. You can get tickets to the Flemington Racecourse and watch the race in real-life, but all the bars and restaurants are going to be showing it as well. I opted for watching the race at Federation Square in the city center, but next time I would have probably bought a race-day package that includes food and drink, quite pricey, but worth the experience. If you plan to go to Flemington for the races make sure you dress up, because in addition to horse-racing the Spring Carnival is also big on fashion!

On my way...

By Louise Lauzon, Camosun Exchange student in Wales

From September 11, 2013

T-minus 12 hours until I leave for the flight to London!

I feel like Rapunzel in Tangled when she leaves home for the first time, and she's running around elated and screaming for joy and the next second she's curled in a ball crying . . . so many emotions! Mostly excitement, of course.
 

I worked 7am – 3:30pm today, because I'm totally crazy and needed the money. But the whole shift I remembered when I was around 7, and it was my friends birthday party, and the whole morning I was bouncing around asking, “Is it time yet? How about now? Now?”

Come to think of it, the coffee and tea while working probably wasn't the best idea.

Time to repack and reorganise and take half the stuff out of my suitcase!

September 12, 2013:

 

Current Location: Ottawa Airport

Local Time: 7:00pm

Victoria Time: 4:00pm

I have my watch set to Victoria time, my laptop on Ottawa's time, and my cell phone has a dual clock on it showing both.

I've been travelling for 9 hours now, 6 and a half of which were in the plane.

I didn't bother sleeping last night, because I figured if I got myself tired enough and slept on the plane enough, I'd be fine when I got to London at 10am. (It's not working. I'm totally exhausted.)

So we left my house at 4:30am – we being an entourage who are crazy enough to get up that early. My mom, sister, best friend and two close family friends came to see me off. There are scales that you can weigh your bag at before you check in, and the lovely scale said 51.4lbs. (the limit is 50). A lady walking by working for Air Canada said she wouldn't mind if it was one or two pounds over, but I'd have to get it weighted and hope that the guy behind the counter was okay with it. Oddly enough, the scale there said 49.8lbs. The man behind the counter said “I guess air is lighter over here,” and winked. Hooray Air Canada! Unfortunately it looks like I'll be paying to take a second bag home, but $70 isn't too bad. . . security was over with quick, and I was just stuck waiting until 6:45am for the flight.

The sun was rising as we were taking off, and it was really amazing to see the difference from BC to the Prairies to Toronto.

The sun is setting here now. It's beautiful with the rain and clouds. There was a storm earlier – the flight from Toronto to Ottawa was shaky the whole way (I didn't even get the pathetic pack of peanuts. Word of advice: Apparently you are allowed food on the plane as long as it's not fruit or vegetables. Wish I had known that before I got on the long food less flight . . .)

The next flight from Ottawa to London had some decent free food on it – and a pillow and blanket that I procured for my dorm room . . .

I was on my own from Heathrow airport to our Hostel, because Shintana (the other girl on this exchange, from Camosun as well) and I had agreed to meet in London before school started. The trip to the hostel was amazingly easy – the tube map looks complicated, but is very simple to figure out, and even kind of fun.


Our original room

We stayed in Acton town, about a fifteen minute ride away from central London. The hostel was known as the Backpack Shack, but had no signs advertising it – I only found it because I knew it was above the Talbot Pub. The owner was a kind Scottish man, and he upgraded our room to a much nicer one after two nights here.

Next time, however, I think I'll stay much closer to central London. I ended up spending 35 pounds on the tube – almost $70! The first day I walked everywhereand my legs ached for days after, but it was worth it to see all of the sights. There's a couple free (tips recommended) tours of London, which were well worth it to go to. I saw most of the big sights in one day, then shopped in Convent Garden for hours. There's so manypeople it's almost overwhelming! My favourite place was probably Big Ben (yes, I know, it's technically known as the Elizabeth Tower. . . ) I spent a good hour just listening to the chimes of it. Another neat place is The Monument to the Great Fire of Britain – it's only 3 quid to climb the 311 steps to the top of this tower. The stairs are very narrow and awkward, but the view at the top is incredibly rewarding. Also, Platform 9 3/4 is in Kings Cross!! They take your picture and there's a shop where you can buy things (I got a wand and a chocolate frog, plus my train ticket to Hogwarts. I was very misinformed as I realised that I was going to the University of Wales, and not Hogwarts, but this place is almost as good :) )

An eventful time in Wales!

By Louise Lauzon, Camosun Exchange Student in Wales

So, I have been blogging, and journal writing, but have yet to post much, so here's a backlog of the last month!

Also, before I start, I just found out that I'm receiving two awards from Camosun: thank you so much to the donors and I'm sorry I won't be able to attend the award ceremony and thank you in person! So thank-you for the following:  Vic & Pam Shemilt - Island Blue Print International English Scholarship and  Vic & Pam Shemilt/Island Blue Print Associate Degree in Creative Writing Scholarship ~ Year One

The hardest part about blogging is repeating yourself – over and over.

Personally, I've got a gorgeous purple leather bound journal that I'm writing most things down in. Then, there's Facebook. The status updates, the messages to friends and family, and then you have Skype; verbally telling everyone about everything that's been going on.

So now I have to repeat myself once more, but in blog form. So, I'm cheating a bit and copying from journal entries and Facebook messages. . .

(Then, of course, there's the huge distractions. A spider the size of my hand just wandered into my flat mates room. Surprisingly, there was very little screaming, just our lovely Italian friend saying that she would start charging by weight of the spider to kill it.)

Anyway, here's some of the things I've been up to:

 

 

So, it's Sept 24^th right now. We met up with the school on the 17^th, and today is probably the first day we've had time to just breathe. The 18^th and 19^th were long orientation days, and on the 20^th we were taken to this amazing castle, then headed to a superstore to do some shopping.

On the 21^st they dragged us to Whitesands Beach and St. Paul's Cathedral:

 Both of which were amazing. We wandered into a cave on the beach and found a seal – yeah, the animal – just hanging out in there. At St. Paul's we got kicked out early so they could hold a wedding. If you were looking at this cathedral right now, you'd have the same look of shock on your face as me. How many years would you have to book in advance to have a wedding there? Maybe I'll book now for ten years down the road and hope the timing works, ha ha.

On Sunday (the 22^nd) we finally had time to settle in and unpack, put up pictures, and do some laundry. People were finally starting to arrive, and we had the first of many parties – a cops and robbers theme at the school club.

Speaking of people, let me brag about the ones I get to spend time with!

There are 10 international students (actually, I believe more have arrived since we came along, but we're the core of it.) Of those ten, nine are female. Four are from BC – crazy, I know – one is from Italy, and the rest are from America. We all completely hit it off with each other right away, all sharing the same interests in, well, almost everything. I guess that's what happens when you get a bunch of people who are crazy enough to fly half way across the world to study Humanities. Anyway, three of the girls in my dorm are international, and the other two are from England. Surprisingly, I've only met two or three Welsh people! Most are from around the UK.

 

The dorm rooms are pretty cozy – if you ignore the REALLY loud pipes that are always running. (some nights they remind me of the ocean at home, but most nights I wind up throwing a pillow at them, which doesn't do much). Most of the time (like now for example) we all just have our doors open and we'll shout to each other to talk. Everyone here is incredibly friendly and welcoming.

Tonight we've got the International Potluck (Shintana and I are bringing Poutine, yum!). Tomorrow we get to do tasters of some of the activities they have. I've already met the head of the Quidditch team (yes, you read that right) and I'm really excited for that. Also planning on looking at archery and martial arts just for fun.

For now, I guess I better go start on the Poutine.