#globalu

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Exploring Japan through Language Immersion

By: Jasmine Johnson

Program: Intensive Japanese Language in Osaka, Japan

Term: Summer 2018

“Even the smallest of things can be a learning experience. Appreciate every opportunity you have to meet new people and experience new things. You never know what you might learn and discover.”

Earning the Language Immersion Badge:

During my time in Japan, I greatly improved my language skills by being immersed in the culture and language. I communicated with other students in both English and Japanese. Many of the Japanese students at the college were learning English while I was learning Japanese. This allowed us to help each other study and improve our skills in the other's native language. It was very interesting and made learning fun because we were able to connect with each other as we studied. While on the program, I was learning every second of every day but I didn't really feel like I was working because I was enjoying myself. Even just simple things like going shopping or going out to eat were a learning experience and an opportunity to improve my language skills. I had never experienced something like that before because this was my first time visiting somewhere outside of America. I felt like I spoke more English than I should have, but when I returned and continued to communicate with friends I had made, I realized I had very much improved my understanding of Japanese without even realizing. While the Japanese class helped a lot, I think that the real-world experiences were far more valuable and useful. It was an experience I'll never forget.

Transferable Skills:

I have kept up with friends I made in Japan, which allows me to continue practicing my Japanese skills. I didn't make as much progress in my language abilities as I thought I might, so I'm glad that I can continue to learn and improve. I think I also improved my communication abilities in general, which has helped me better connect with other students in my same major and in my classes this semester. I have been able to connect and share my experiences with other students who went abroad, even if they went to a different place than I did, which has been a very interesting and valuable experience.

[utahabroad]

A travel appetizer

By: Nicole King, Social Media Scholarship Recipient Summer 2018, Thailand International Elective: Health Sciences, Bangkok and Mae Sot, Thailand

When you are planning an international trip—well, a trip anywhere, actually—what should be your first priority? How do you plan your itinerary? Do you think about what you need to pack and things that need to be purchased ahead of time? Airfare and airline? Specific locations of destination and/or places to stay? Those are all completely feasible considerations and perhaps are the things you “should” do before traveling.

What about me? Well, I didn’t pack until the day before I had to leave (I have several excuses… had several exams to study for that month, wedding obligations, etc.). And I didn’t have to plan my itinerary because luckily, that was already done for me by my program. All I really had to plan was my flight. And since there are no direct flights to Bangkok from the U.S., I got to choose my layover. How did I choose my layover?

Food. It was all about the food. Oh, and maybe some of the sightseeing stuff too. South Korea it is!

I’ve always loved Korean food—it’s no secret that I’m a food lover (won’t go the extra mile by calling myself a foodie necessarily, but I am very passionate about this subject nonetheless). It’s spicy, garlicky, flavorful, and still pretty healthy. It’s enough to persuade me to fly into Incheon, South Korea and head into Seoul during my 15-hour layover. So I went with Asiana Airlines, a Korean-based airline that would probably have Korean food on there.

Airplane bibimbap (mixed rice with beef and veggies) plus a travel sized, extremely convenient gochujang (red pepper paste) tube. Very cute. Not bad.

Of course, we had to hit up the street food in Myeongdong, Seoul. Food on sticks is obviously more fun.

Jumped on that Korean BBQ! One of my favorite foods ever. Just look at that intense amusement (or starvation, anger?… I’m not sure which emotion) in their eyes.

Also another fun staple I had to try—Korean fried chicken and beer. A pairing so meant to be. And so crunchy!

And for dessert… taiyaki with vanilla ice cream, as well as honeycomb and a single Oreo stuffed inside (not pictured, but I promise it’s in there). Yes, please.

I do regret not having tried any snacks from the 7-Elevens there. But it’s okay, I still got a decent sample of Korean cuisine in such a short period of time. This was a great prelude to Thailand—of course I got an amazing variety of flavors there, too! Don’t you worry, Thailand.

Maybe most of you aren’t as excited about food like me, and that’s okay. Just wanted to share my small beam of excitement before the big adventure up next!

[utahabroad]

“Touristing”: did I do it wrong?

By: Nicole King, Social Media Scholarship Recipient Summer 2018, Thailand International Elective: Health Sciences, Bangkok and Mae Sot, Thailand

Thailand is obviously known for its shopping scene. Outdoor and indoor malls, night markets, food stalls… and most unique to Thailand, floating markets.

Terminal 21 Indoor Shopping Mall

Chatuchak Weekend Market

Khao San Road Night Market

The best part of the swap meet-style places is that you can choose to haggle. I didn’t think it’d be that hard to do, but trust me… when any area is packed with tourists all day every day, they don’t exactly care about giving you the best deal in the world because they know someone else will easily buy it at their starting price.

Long story short, I was at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and was on the hunt for a pair of Muay Thai boxing shorts. Knowing that I had been searching for these for a long time and hadn’t come across them often, I knew I had to snatch a pair that I had finally found at this location. And of course, I eagerly went for the first pair I saw there—let’s just say it didn’t end as planned.

Spoiler: I paid 600 baht (~$18) for a pair with some not-so-great quality material, when I obviously should’ve spent much less.

Where did I go wrong? Well, the way this floating market was set up was a little different from others—normally, the vendors sit on boats while shoppers walk around and approach them from the deck. Here, it was the opposite—shoppers sat on boats while vendors had their shops set up along the sides of the decks, so if you wanted to browse a specific stall, you had to tell your boat driver to pull over.

I saw the shorts on display at the VERY FIRST shop and was immediately drawn to them. There were only two colors, either red/black or red/white. The vendor told me the starting price was 1500 baht (~$45!!). And I fought with every cell of my body to get the price down as low as possible (this process probably took like 10 minutes)—and to my surprise, I got it down to 600 baht! That’s more than 50% off! I was so excited and proud of myself as I happily fed her my money.

…only to find that 20 minutes later, after getting off the boat and walking around at other shops away from the water (!!), I found many more pairs of boxing shorts… and tons and tons of different colors… for 200 baht (~$6) each. Ugh. Lesson learned.

Therefore, I have compiled a short list of tips for you hungry touristy shoppers:

1. Look at ALL the shops around you before giving into a purchase! Compare, compare, compare. 2. Be patient. Patience is a virtue. 3. Remember that the vendor will always tell you some super hiked up price in the beginning, because they know you’re a tourist and that you’ll probably fall for their “deals”—the true value of the item is probably much, much less. The cost to have made that item was probably like less than a dollar. 4. If the vendor is being difficult with you during your bargaining process, just be okay with saying no and walking away. If the vendor really wants your business, they’ll come after you (although at a floating market, no one is going to come swimming after you, unfortunately). 5. If you want a vendor to be more likely to approve your offer, say something to them in their language (e.g., I told this lady “hello” and “thank you” and “how much?” in Thai)—she was proud of me for trying and thus gave me the “desired” price in the end! 6. Make sure you really, really, REALLY want the item that you’re haggling for. That might not be a bad idea. Because till this day, a whole month after this experience, I still have NOT worn these shorts.

The real lesson of the day? Forgive yourself. It’s all part of your traveling experience. Just laugh about it later.

Good luck, shopaholics!

[utahabroad]

The reason why I do what I do

By: Nicole King, Social Media Scholarship Recipient Summer 2018, Thailand International Elective: Health Sciences, Bangkok and Mae Sot, Thailand 

 I made it to Bangkok, yay! And it was absolutely beautiful, despite the heat and humidity (although my skin definitely appreciated getting away from the dry Utah air). First stop was the Grand Palace, home of the Kings of Siam (now Thailand) since 1782 and a very popular tourist attraction.

As an almost-graduate PA student, the objective of this international elective rotation was to observe the different fields of medicine and get a taste of how they’re practiced in this country. My classmates and I spent one week at Sirindhorn Hospital in Bangkok. We attended lectures about Thailand’s tropical diseases, toured several departments and watched their healthcare teams in action, and even enjoyed an afternoon of traditional Thai dancing and aerobics.

For one of those days, we were asked to follow the home health team. This was a group of providers who visited the homes of patients that are unable to travel to the hospital, and they would provide care directly at their bedside. This was already a unique experience for me because all my previous rotations in PA school had only been in outpatient or inpatient facilities. So, we left the crazy city of Bangkok and drove to the quiet outskirts, to a single place that I will never forget.

There was a patient—an elderly woman alone in a bed, completely nonverbal and immobile, connected to a feeding tube and urinary catheter—whose residence was under a bridge over a still local river. Yes, in order to access her home, you had to cross over a wobbly wooden plank into a small nook, supported by more unsteady floorboards. The roof, being the bottom of the concrete bridge itself, was so low that you could not stand up straight. It was dim and musty, with debris and dismantled furniture to the left, chickens to the right, pots and pans in front, tangled wires above, and barking dogs below. The only slight movement of air was provided by a fan next to her bed, accompanied by the muffled static sound of a small tube TV.

I was completely stunned by the sights of this patient’s living conditions. I couldn’t fathom the thought that she’s dealt with this every day and had no one even living with her. However, I felt grateful that this lady, who had several medical conditions including poorly controlled diabetes, routinely received wound care from the home health team. The providers worked so quickly and efficiently to clean up her foot, and they exhibited such a positive aura the entire time.

 Thus, I was comforted knowing that patients like this woman had not been forgotten and that she would continue to be in good hands. I felt thankful that the home health staff was so willing to share this part of their journey with us. Nevertheless, I can’t imagine how many other people are still out there in similar conditions flying under the radar.

My heart lies with these underserved communities, especially those outside of the U.S., who don’t have reasonable access to health resources. As I had mentioned in my very first blog post, my goal is to continue reaching out to the medically underserved as a PA in the near future—my duties in these regions definitely don’t stop here in Thailand. I want to keep lending a hand to those who really need it, even if I am just one person, and embody my program’s mission. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. And that is exactly the reason why I do what I do.

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[[ P A R A D I S I N ‘ ]]

By: Nicole King, Social Media Scholarship Recipient Summer 2018, Thailand International Elective: Health Sciences, Bangkok and Mae Sot, Thailand

[utahabroad]

Sometimes Thailand isn’t all that glorious

By: Nicole King, Social Media Scholarship Recipient Summer 2018, Thailand International Elective: Health Sciences, Bangkok and Mae Sot, Thailand 

 We visited a patient who lived under a bridge over a river in the outskirts of Bangkok. Such a humbling experience to have watched and helped the home health team take care of her despite these living conditions.

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Sukhothai Ruins and a side of cute chang 🐘

By: Nicole King, Social Media Scholarship Recipient Summer 2018, Thailand International Elective: Health Sciences, Bangkok and Mae Sot, Thailand

[utahabroad]

GREECE: Week One

By: Emma Lester, Social Media Scholarship Recipient Summer 2018, Greece from Minoan to Modern Times in Athens and the Greek Isles, Greece 

 I flew into Athens, Greece 7 days ago and time has flown by! In one week, I feel like I have seen and learned more about one country than I could ever learn in a semester long class. Our group of 18 students and Randy, our professor, has already become so close! In Athens, our hotel was just up the street from Monastiraki square which was surrounded by a hub of small shops and restaurants, and at the bottom of the hill that the Acropolis sits on. At any given point walking the old streets, you could look up and see the ruins peeking out from over the edge of the hill.

After a group dinner to begin the program on the first night, our first day of activity involved walking to see the first modern olympic stadium, where the 1896 Olympics were held. Randy told us that the modern word “stadium” comes from the Ancient Greek word “stade,” which was a 200 yard race. This was the most popular and most prestigious race to win according to the Greeks. That is also the explanation to why the stadium is long and narrow, rather than more oval shaped; the runners would sprint down, turn around 180 degrees, then sprint back, rather than running in a circle like we do now.

We stopped by the Temple of Zeus, then made our way to the Acropolis museum, then climbed up the hill to see the ruins themselves. The museum is built over ruins, with clear floors to see the excavations occurring below you. The Acropolis of Athens is a citadel, which includes everything on top of the hill, but the Parthenon is the main, and most famous temple on the hill. It was dedicated to the goddess Athena, for which the city is named after. On top of the hill, there is a 360 degree view of the sprawling city of Athens.

Some ruins have been converted into a modern amphitheater overlooking part of the city!  

The rest of the week has been filled with seeing lots of temples (at least one a day), some traveling, and one of my favorite moments so far: seeing the sunset at Poseidon’s Temple at the Cape of Sounion.

One day we took a ferry to the island of Aegina where we saw the Aphaia at the top of the island, then got to spend some free time on the beach (the water is SO blue!). After seeing multiple temples, scattered across towns and parts of Greece, it has been interesting to see how well the architecture and statues have been preserved, or how temples that all look so similar can actually be so different. There is so much detail in the faces of statues; their eyes are so powerful and each one with their own story and identity.

We are now in Delphi, a tiny town perched on the mountain side, over looking a deep valley and the Corinthian Gulf. The ruins of Ancient Delphi are truly built into the mountain side, with the stone of the columns blending into the mountainside behind them. Apollo’s Temple, remains of rooms, a theatre, and even a long stadium at the top of the hillside. The mountains and valley that the ruins overlook remind me of the mountains in Utah!

I have eaten endless amounts of Greek Salad, but I am not complaining. The tomatoes and onions are in season, and everything tastes as though it was just picked from the garden. I’ve developed a liking for seared or grilled sardines, another traditional Greek dish; They taste nothing like the salty ones from America, but have a similar flavor to that of white fish like tilapia. You eat the whole fish, and the bones add a nice crunch to the meal! I can’t wait for more yummy dishes and more beautiful temples. Week two, here we come!