Letter Home - InnsbruckEnvi

Letter- Home  - Innsbruck, Austria

Hello Everyone, My name is Prakash Pandey and I am from Nepal. I have been studying Bachelor of Engineering, Environmental Chemistry and Technology in Centria  UAS since 2015. I was on Exchange study in the Management Center Innsbruck, Austria. I was studying a Bachelor of Science, Environmental Process and Energy Engineering for a year in Austria. The curriculum in the host university was filled with a bunch of technical courses while a few were business and cultural courses.

The host university used a traditional type of teaching methods where most of the lecture is occupied with contact lesson. Almost every lecture was based on calculations rather than the theory and presentation. The professors were using the German symbols and notations during calculations and it was a bit difficult to understand in the beginning. I found the gap between the teachers and students and was quite difficult to communicate. Even some local students find difficulty in sharing their problems with teachers. There was a kind of stress and pressure about exams because exams were most difficult.

However, later on after a semester in host university, I was used to the system. I was familiar with the local students and the class turned out to be like as if I am with my high school buddies. They made me familiar with the learning techniques and exams preparation methods. Apart from my studies, I spent most of my time cooking with other international students at my dorm and learned a couple of recipes from Thailand, Korea, Japan, India, and Austria. This was the most interesting part of my exchange. 

D.I.E Assesment ;A trip from Germany to AUstria

A Trip from Germany to Austria

Description

Once it happened, I was traveling from Frankfurt (Germany) to Innsbruck (Austria). On the way, there was a break for 15 minutes for food and beverages at a gas station. I was lucky to be on time to the bus but some of the people around 10-15 were missing. The driver was on the seat, ready to continue the journey. As soon as the driver started the bus, many people gathered around his cabin and requested him to pause the trip so that the passengers who were missing could get into the bus. The driver did not listen at all and continued the journey. The leftover passengers gave him a call, but he did not answer. Even he did not answer the call of the police. Finally, the police pulled over the bus after an hour and those leftover passengers followed the bus through taxi.

                                         
                                                               Fig: Deri Zinnen

Interpret

After that incident, I came to know the importance of time and people in Germany take it super seriously.  I saw the driver was a bit angry and was quite loud when the other passengers were requesting him to stop the bus. So, no one was able to convince him. The majority of the leftover people were from the non-EU region and maybe they were unknown about German's rules and regulations.

Evaluation

I was a bit worried after that situation and one of the passengers sitting next to me was also missing.  I thought the situation could be easily solved if the driver could wait for them for a while.  On the other hand, I thought the driver did very well because he did not stay overtime which is against the rule. Similarly, he did not pick up the call while he was driving. It is quite difficult to judge the situation but it's always our responsibility to follow the rules of each and every nation.

D-I-E Thu Nguyen - Colombia

DESCRIBE

Friendly and proactive is the adjective I describe Latin America. In my perspective, Colombia is a nice place, at least my study area’s climate, it’s approximately 15 – 20 Celsius degree for the whole year. The people are never hesitated to support and help me. There are some refugees from Venezuela live in Colombia and sell some basic stuff such as coffee, water cake or appliance to earn for a living. I listened to their story and did volunteer in a nursing home. Thanks to those experience, I empathy and widen my eyes about the world.

INTERPRET

There was also an extreme problem happened to me, visa issue as well as the language barrier. Residents in Colombia don’t know English well and some have no idea about English speaking, includes employees who work in international places like the airport and there was no translator who can solve the problem. I did explain about my visa issue due to the instruction of Colombia embassy in Finland. However, they seemed to be misunderstood and locked me together with some people didn’t have any personal documents. I was scared to be sent back to Finland, but the host university helped me out and treated me very well.

For the young generation at my age, some of them who studied in English institute or did experience English speaking environment, they were more confident and express themselves clearly. However, most of the students around me were not used to communicating by English. And when we were doing teamwork, they spoke by Spanish and I felt like I was isolated in the team, they just spoke to me if they thought they had to. There was once when I missed the lab work as they were discussed in Spanish and I didn’t understand at all. I should ask them immediately, but I didn’t because I thought that content wasn’t related to work.

EVALUATE

I think Colombia is not yet an integrated country that everyone welcomes to speak and aware of communication skills. I didn't state they had to speak English everywhere since I was in Spanish speaking though personally, I feel being unrespectful from that behaviour. I accept and respect their culture and language. Nevertheless, this is in the educational environment, to which I was there to extend and exchange my knowledge. Although they did not aware and intend to do that, for me it was quite impolite and non-altruistic to international students. This issue happened in many environments, not just only in the educational area and to many countries. I've not overstated this problem, yet it did not always happen to me there. You just imagine if you are in a foreign country with the important task and local friends even didn’t concern or have eye contact to, and leave you some English sentences told you what to do within the whole group meeting, how do you feel? It was also my mistake that I should tell them to adjust their behaviour and please let me join the group completely. Yet it was also their drawback to disconnect with foreign students. Therefore, to future exchange students who desire to go to Colombia, you should prepare yourself a certain amount of Spanish to be in touch and express you feeling clear so both sides can empathy and modify the conduct.

I still enjoy the time there except the circumstances above. The friends are friendly and generous to me surplus an amazing adventure to enhance my vision of Latin American culture and sightseeing.

Introduction

Hello!

My name is Jyrki Hautaniemi and I'm third year student in Community Educator at Cenria University of Applied Sciences in Ylivieska. I'm from Sodankylä. During my study I live weekdays in Ylivieska.

I will go to work placement in Toronto Acrigola Lutheran Chuch. I will start my internship next fall. I'm there for the period between September-November. I have had long time interested in Canada and now looks like the one dreams of mine will come true.

I hope that at the end of my internship I speak fluent english. I almost forget, yesterday registered in the Niagara Falls Marathon. So, I hope that I can run all the way to the finish. I'm sure that I will meet lovely people and get new friends in Toronto.

Take care - Jyrki

D-I-E United States of America

1.      DESCRIBE: Think of one episode that has left you confused or that you think was strange/different. Describe the object or situation in concrete, observable terms. What happened in the interaction? What was said? What did you see? What did you feel at the moment?

I had confusing situation at the local church while we went listening Christmas songs there with my friend family, songs were presented and hosted by a family who was locally famous about this annual happening. The church was full of quests, and the son of the family welcomed people to the happening, from the stage, at his intro. I was introduced to them a bit earlier, and suddenly this man says to all: “May I introduce to you all, here is Rita.”  “Rita has come here all the way from Finland, etc.” I had to stand up and say hello to everybody, when they turned to see this weird miracle; all the way from Finland. It was awful to me because I haven’t used to be in the spotlights and it’s not so Finnish thing anyway.

2.      INTERPRET: Think of possible explanations (interpretations) for what you observed or experienced. From your cultural perspective, try to explain why you think this situation or experience occurred? Try to find at least 3 different interpretations of the interaction or occurrence. What cultural information have you used to produce these interpretations?  

In Finland that wouldn’t be happening, but I realized that it was a major politeness from their perspective and culture. In America you really must stand out from the crowd or leap to the eye, if you want to find the success in there. We don’t have that same system in here, so it was very weird thing to me. No worries, everything went well, and the concert was very good, but it was a good reminding of the differences between our cultures.

3.      EVALUATE: Evaluate what you observed or experienced. What positive or negative feelings do you have regarding the situation? Consider how you might feel if you were a member of the host culture and held the dominant cultural values and beliefs?

I don’t know? The situation was okay to me after a first shock when I thought to run out as fast as I could – not literally of course. The experience was good because now I know. In any case of willing to do business or have a job or a flat or you name it, it’s a competition. You must be seen, heard and noticed positively. There is a difference to the Finnish culture because we usually say that it’s good if it’s understandable, but in America it is far from good at that point; whatever it is.

Letter to Home – Riitta Saarelainen

1. In what country and University are you studying?

I studied in Lock Haven University, which is in Pennsylvania state, USA

2. In what Study program are you studying at Centria?

Industrial Engineering and Management / Industrial Management

3. What are the courses like at the host University?

I studied International Business, Macroeconomics, Human Resources and English writing skills. Part of these courses were under the management major program and part were under business major program. I felt that some of the courses were challenging to me because those were for the senior student, but it was okay, just did the best I could.

4. Describe the study culture?

I liked this American way better. Somehow it was more effective, because there were not so many lectures and that way topics were more clearly filled or booked up to the lectures. Because lessons time was shorter, there were more homework and assignments to be done.

5. What is your study group like?

I didn’t get along so well with other internationals, so I had to find my connections from elsewhere. It was okay because I get to see more of local manners and habits instead of the regular student life. Studies went okay, I had so different groups around me because of different classes and the major programs.

6. Please describe what the everyday life is like in your host country? What do you like in particular?

Lock Haven is a small town. It surprised me, but eventually it was good that it was that way. Studies were so hard, so I wouldn’t get those done if I would have more action out from the campus. In their school system I appreciate mostly the respect of time. Because it’s more expensive there, people value more time and the schedules in USA; at least it felt that way.

7. What has been challenging? Why? 

Paperwork was very challenging, demands for the visa are huge, at least it felt that way, but still I managed and got through of those, so it was just one part of the exchange. My most stopping challenge was my linguistic skills; it felt like don’t know English at all and I’m ready to come back home. But as everyone said, it got better and stronger all the time, and I’m so glad for that.

8. What has been the highlight of your exchange so far?

·                  Getting to know some so super nice people and get awesome friends around the world!

·                  I got to see and feel NYC, and see the Statue of Liberty, it has been my dream for so long time

·                  I got a chance to live in another culture and country

·                  I pass all my courses and get good grades!

·                  I get to live many of my dreams, so now it’s easier to go back and do that again

D-I-E Gothenburg

I've had many unpleasant moments in Sweden in the past but this tops everything. As I was going to swim for the first time in Gothenburgs biggest swimming hall, I noticed something  awfully strange. There was this big sign in the sauna forbidding anyone to talk or throw water in the stow. I was horrified and confused when the local people walked in to the sauna with their towels wrapped around them. After taking a few gasps of air into my lungs I saw even more incredible things happen: the sweeds were reading newspapers in the sauna while the temperature meter was showing only 50 celsius.

My explanation to this incident is coincidence, lack of knowledge and bad luck.
Somehow the swedish ancestors never really found out what a real sauna is like. Maybe thats why it's one of the few countries that call sauna "bastu" instead. I interviewed a few locals about this bastu culture in Sweden, and they told me that being naked in a boiling hot sauna feels wrong and to sexual for them.
I think it's just pure bad luck that there's not enough finnish people living in Sweden who can educate about the great possibilities of  a tradtitional finnish sauna where you throw a lot water in the stow and spank each other backs with some birch branches.

Probably for the first time in my life I felt a little bit ashamed because of the sauna and hopefully for the last. If I were a sweed and would encounter a finn in sauna, I would most likely bow and show somekinda respect. Afterall, it's one of the best relaxing inventions that has come from Finland.

Cheers,

Jon Selin

Letter home - Jon Selin

Hello, my name is Jon Selin, and im studying music in Centria University of Applied Sciences. I'm doing my internship in Gothenburg University in Sweden.

The course selection is broad and interesting here in Gothenburg University. There's a lot of projects you can participate as an violinist. I joined the schools symphonic orchestra for three big classical projects this fall. There was repertoar from Strauss, Bartok and even some opera. As a violinist, I also had to chance to participate in the world music program and take some classes in improvisation. It was also a priviledge to sing bass in the schools chamber choir that invited me to take part in their concert tour in Verona Italy this spring. In the pedagogical studies there's something called "fieldstudies" that has given me a lot of insight and knowledge of the swedish music education system. We were invited to visit different culture schools in Gothenburg and observe the teaching methods of the local music pedagogues. 

The study culture felt really intense, since everyone was required to fully participate in every class. Those who came late had to do extra assingments for the teachers. There was a lot of exchange students from Finland, so it felt really easy to "fit in" the school. We had a lot of cool gigs and parties in the school and formed this small finnish "party band". The city itself reminded me a lot of Helsinki. You can take ferrys to beautiful islands and go to big concert halls and museums with local trams. It was really hard to find a proper sauna in the city, but the best one was probably at the harbor frihamnen.

Challenging was to wake up early every morning to the drilling sounds of a nearby construction site. The highlight was definitely all the big concerts and performances I was able to participate in.

Letter home - Thu Nguyen - Universidad de la Sabana, Colombia

Hi guys, 

I'm Thu, studying in Centria UAS as Chemistry Student. During the last 6 months in 2018, I went to Colombia for an exchange program and it was an amazing experience for me to explore the world as well as myself. The link attached below is my observation of this exchange:

https://youtu.be/fJAbirs_QtY

Introduction - Thu Nguyen - Universidad de la Sabana

Hi, I’m Thu Nguyen, a student in Environmental & Chemistry Engineering. Next term, I’ll go to Universidad de la Sabana, Colombia as an exchange student in the same field of study. This is not the first time I’ve been so far away from home. Yet I’m still nervous since I haven’t had any knowledge or visit to Latin America. Also, many friends of mine have no idea about the Latin cultures and studying method, so I desire to explore more about that region. Learning and experience are my goals in the next 6 months in Colombia. Hope that everything there is better than I expected!