Cliff Hull ’11 – I recently returned from my semester abroad studying in the Netherlands. After I finished my exams, I left Leiden with a couple of friends . Through the non-profit organization World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), we were able to get in contact with the owner of an organic farm in the Algarve, the southernmost region of Portugal . For a menial maintenance fee (and sometimes for free, depending on the country’s WWOOF organization), WWOOF provides access to a database of local farmers using ecologically sustainable farming practices.

After communicating with a few farms, we decided on a farm located outside of the city of Portimão . We spent two weeks volunteering on the farm, in exchange for housing and food. Since no herbicides are used on the farm, a majority of the work consisted of pulling weeds by hand. But we also helped with other projects around the farm, such as building a new area to store firewood (as well as splitting a lot of the firewood), creation of compost areas, clearing brush for fire prevention, and cutting down dead or dying trees.

My WOOFing experience allowed me to spend time in a country as more than a tourist. I was able to get a much more authentic experience, being able to work, live, and eat with a Portuguese family. It was also nice to do volunteer work, especially in the region we were working, since it is one of the poorest regions in Portugal . It was especially rewarding to know that besides helping out the family for whom we worked, our efforts were also helping to positively effect the environment.

Just a little over 24 hours after getting home to Indianapolis from my six month stay in Europe, I started an internship at KERAMIDA Inc, an environmental engineering firm located in downtown Indianapolis. Although it’s a bit of a change from my previous summer job as a whitewater rafting guide in West Virginia , it offers me a great chance to experience working in a professional environment before making my decisions for graduate school.

Once I’ve graduated from Wabash , I’m hoping to go to graduate school in the area of environmental engineering. Getting a chance to work alongside professionals who have taken the same path I plan is helping me to better focus my plans for the future. It’s crazy to think how close “the future” is. It seems like just the other day I was a disorientated senior in high school on Honors Scholar Weekend, trying to decide where to live if I decided to come to Wabash College . Now, a little over three years later, I’m deciding what to do once I’m finished with Wabash. It’s amazing how fast it all goes.

In photos: Top right – Hull, in red tshirt, helps take down a tree. Lower left – a look at the Portuguese countryside.

Jacob Surface ’11 – Twice in the past two weeks I have awoken to screams here in Chile. When that happens in Latin America, a couple of thoughts jump to mind: 1) Is this another earthquake? Well, my bed/room doesn’t seem to be shaking so I guess not. 2) Is this a military coup? Well I don’t hear tanks, planes, or guns so hopefully not… 3) Is there a soccer game? YES, in fact it is the World Cup which explains why the entire city is going mad. Even as I write I can hear the honking, yelling, and chaotic celebratory sounds of Chile’s latest win. The pride for the Roja (red) is ubiquitous in Chile as school and workplace alike are postponed for people to watch the games. Meanwhile, I am preparing to head off to that all too forgotten segment of study abroad – class. 

As the semester is drawing to a close here I want to talk a bit about my favorite class so far. My Latin American history course has been one of the most interesting courses I have had the chance to take while in Chile. While some of the reading material is review from other political science/history courses I have had (which I appreciate with comps a semester away), the classroom dynamic has been very rewarding. With Chile, France, Mexico, Spain, Colombia, and of course the US represented in a small group of 15 students, class conversations from populism and democracy to social inequality and military coups have been extremely well informed with so many experiences represented. I just finished my final essay for the class and was able to squeeze in some Pevehouse between the likes of Tilly and Huntington (just ask Dr. Vasquez about his International Politics course last fall and civil-military relations). 

Speaking of sketchy situations, our program took a human rights tour through the capital of Santiago a week ago. We visited the General Cemetery and saw the monument to Allende as well as the one to the Disappeared Victims of the coup. We then had a guided tour of Villa Grimaldi, a former summer resort area that was converted to a torture/detention center as Pinochet sought out members of the armed leftist movement (MIR). Unfortunately such issues have only became a public discourse in Chile after Pinochet’s embarrassing extradition to Spain in 1998 when a six-hour window between diplomatic immunities allowed authorities to detain him while seeking back surgery in England.  Even now Chileans are not very open on the topic. 

Jacob Surface ’11 – I have been in Chile for about a month and half now, since just after the earthquake or ‘terremoto’. While it sounds like a long time, I can still vividly remember boarding the plane in Miami with my new study abroad compatriots. We arrived for our brief orientation of three days that was supposed to prepare us for the shock of Chilean culture, complete with salsa lessons! But nothing could have prepared me for Chilean Spanish. With filler words that mean absolutely nothing, elongated syllables, dropped consonants, and a variety of colloquial expressions that confuse and stun the new ‘gringos’, Chilean Spanish is a murmured dialect with a musical flow that leaves you lost in the tones, wondering, “What just happened?” I am still picking up language skills everyday.

The geography of this rugged area is definitely one of the highlights. In fact, I spent my Easter Sunday closer to God hiking around Mt. Aconcagua National Park, the highest mountain in the Americas, where I couldn’t resist trying my legs for a two mile run at altitude. Talk about a workout! After a brief respite on a hill with a perfect view of the snow covered mountain, I turned to see if my hiking group had caught up to me. Unfortunately, we missed each other and I ended up running a mile back in the opposite direction just to find out that they were down by a mountain stream off the beaten path. 

Chris Beedie ’11 – My semester in Spain was definitely a memorable one. Studying abroad gave me an amazing opportunity to fully immerse myself in the Spanish language, which has proven invaluable to me in my study of the language and my desire to teach Spanish in the future. The program I studied with is a part of the Hispanic Studies program of the University of Virginia. The program has been located in Valencia for over 25 years and prides itself on its content and mission. My classes were taught by extremely knowledgeable and passionate professors willing to help us advance out study of the Spanish language, literature, and culture in any way possible. 

My semester was one filled with the “locura” of Don Quijote, a study of modern Spanish literature which included a whole segment focused on the historical memory of the harsh reality of the repression and hunger that existed during and after the Spanish civil war, a study of short stories and their adaptations in Spanish cinema, as well as a study of the Spanish economy, its historical evolution, and characteristics today.

My home life in Valencia provided me with just as many learning opportunities as the classroom. I spent the semester living with a retired university professor who has now hosted American students in her home for ten years. Charo, as we called her, made sure that my roommate and I never left the dinner table anything less than absolutely stuffed with food, and will probably be retelling the story of the infamous “día de los espagutis” to her students for some time – I think I saw my life flash before my eyes trying to finish the mountain of spaghetti on the table, but like good sons Derrick and I conquered the giant pile of food…but not before roughly an hour had passed. 

Charo’s sense of hearing can also be compared to that of, well, whatever animal has the most acute sense of hearing…and if she even had the faintest suspicion that we were speaking English somewhere in the apartment, she would run in and begin scolding us. The experiences I had with Charo are definitely unforgettable and it is hard to recall a time when the three of us didn’t spend the majority of dinner laughing together. I also think that it is safe to say someone could write a book or TV series centered on the relationship between Charo and the woman who helped her clean the apartment, Mari Carmen. Although Mari Carmen was prone to breaking things and Charo quick to critique her cleaning methods, Mari Carmen was always ready to rescue Charo when she would somehow get trapped inside various rooms of the apartment.

I don’t think anyone who has visited Valencia during March can write about their experience without mentioning Las Fallas. A 19-day celebration that ends in the burning of hundreds of giant and intricately designed sculptures, Las Fallas is unlike anything I have experienced before. Every day at 2 pm rang out the unforgettable words “Senyor pirotécnic, pot començar la mascletà,” which in English basically translates to “get ready for ten minutes of insanely loud explosions.” In Valencia these firework shows that occurred at 2 pm are nothing like what we think of in America. For starters, it is 2 pm! Therefore it goes without saying that the people of Valencia are not really interested in the pretty lights of the fireworks, but rather seeing how much explosive they can pack into each firework to make them as loud as possible. Luckily, before I left to see my first mascletà my host mom reminded me to keep my mouth open and to not cover my ears while the fireworks were set off…so that I wouldn’t rupture my ear drums! It truly is hard to describe a mascletà in words, and it really is something you have to experience, or better yet feel, as the explosions are that powerful.

Ben Williams ’11 – I have now been in Europe for a little over two months now, and my experience has been nothing less than the experience of a lifetime. From the second I stepped off the plane in Stuttgart, Germany, to where I am now in Vienna, Austria, every day has presented me with unique experiences and challenges that have truly made me a different person. And I can only imagine the adventures that lie ahead.

The program I chose to participate in is unique in that I have had the opportunity to study in two different locations. For the first month of my program I was located in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. Schwäbisch Hall is a small town an hour north of Stuttgart. While in Schwäbisch Hall I was enrolled in an intensive German course which helped me adapt to the language before I came to Vienna. I am now fully immersed in the language. Schwäbisch Hall was a unique experience because I was exposed to many different cultures from around the world. There were many international students also learning German along with me. Because of the unique exposure I was given the opportunity to get to know people from other nations such as Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, France, Argentina, Italy, and many other nations. 

I have also been able to get to know many Austrians. The Austrian students in my dorm have been very generous and have certainly gone out of their way to make me feel welcome in their country. 

Aaron Cantu ’11 – The first view out of my airplane window of Bali, Indonesia, was absolutely beautiful, and its been nothing but beauty since. I had no idea what was in store for me stepping off the plane, but almost two months into the program, its truly been an adventure.

My program center is based in Bedulu, a small village to the northeast of Denpasar, the capital of Bali. It is a beautiful place to call home. The village is riddled with tall palm trees, wild roaming chickens, and the zipping by of motorbikes down the main road. My classes are taught in an open air classroom which allows for a wonderful breeze on those hot Bali days. Being able to touch a refreshing rain during the rainy season from my desk is another spoil of studying here.

The intense language course has allowed me to communicate with locals and become integrated into the culture, as opposed to being just another tourist. After a mere week of class we were dropped off in a nearby village and expected to survive with our limited language skills. It was a frightening experience at first, but once I met a nice Balinese masseur, my nerves were calmed. We talked about America and my time in Bali while drinking a tasty cup of Balinese coffee and viewing a beautiful panorama of seemingly endless rice fields; all this in Bahasa Indonesia. It was my first taste of the wonderfully hospitable culture of the Balinese. 

This seems like a regular occurrence in Bali; being invited into peoples homes for meals after a mere five minutes of conversation is not uncommon. It’s the culture that allows for one to be completely immersed into Balinese life. I have been to temple ceremonies with my family, joining them side by side in prayer on some of the most holy of Balinese Hindu celebrations.

Along with wonderful people, the island also contains breathtaking scenery. I climbed the active volcano of Batur and witnessed the sunrise over the clouds on its peak. I felt as though I was on top of the world, on some secret perch that only few have been granted to experience. I have ran my toes through sands of every color on some of the most secluded and beautiful beaches in Bali. I have swam with dolphins in open ocean at sunrise with the view of mountains jutting into the ocean as my background. I have even hunted eels by hand through rice terraces with only the aide of starlight and fireflies.

The experiences that I have gathered so far will never be able to be fully understood through these words, or those of any others. I appreciate immensely the opportunity given to me by Wabash College to experience all that has been set out for me. I have grown in so many aspects of my life and will continue to do so in the coming month. I will be documenting village life through painting and sketching for the next month, which means no class, just living and painting. I will spend half my time painting in Seraya, a poor fishing village on the southeastern hill of Mt. Seraya, overlooking the pristine coast.

After my time is exhausted there, I will continue painting in Sukawana, a small village in the mountains near Batur. Although internet access will be hard to come by, I will be sure to update once I have finished my projects in these two villages. Sampai Nanti. Until Later.

Kyle Grand ’11 – I have been studying at Bond University in Gold Coast, Australia for about three months now, and it has truly been one of the best experiences of my life. The Gold Coast is one of the most beautiful places on earth and is home to some of the world’s best beaches. 

My school is located near the popular suburb, Surfer’s Paradise, and for the most part the weather is always 75 degrees and sunny. Bond is the only private school in Australia and offers a great education. It has a small school feel very similar to Wabash, so I of course fit right in. I am currently taking four classes that cover a wide range of Australian topics. I am learning about the history of the country as well as its government and politics. Australia is a very interesting place with a unique culture unlike anywhere else in the world.

While I have been here I have traveled all over the country and it really is one of the best places in the world. I have seen the beautiful beaches of Byron Bay, walked around the awesome city of Melbourne, and of course spent a wonderful weekend in Sydney. I have seen a professional rugby game, an Australian national team soccer match, as well as an Australian music festival. No matter where I have gone, one thing remains the same. Australians have strong national pride and celebrate the fact that they are Australian.

Jorge Rostro ’11 – It has been about five weeks now since I have arrived at Aberdeen. At first, life was dark and cold and the sun hardly came out. Now, the sun shines more and it seems to be getting warmer. I have met numerous people from across Europe, not to mention my flat mates which are from Sweden, England, Scotland, and Lithuania.

Life at Aberdeen is very laid back. In comparison to Wabash, I seem to have a lot of free time. There is hardly any homework or reading assignments and absolutely no tests, except the final exam. This has given me the opportunity to immerse my self in the Scottish culture.

During these five weeks, I have explored the city center. It is absolutely beautiful, although at first I could not enjoy it as much because it was cold. I have been to the local museums. There I have seen great Victorian paintings and other contemporary forms of art. One thing that stands out from Aberdeen is the friendly people and the granite buildings of which give the city a nice feel. I also take nice jogs at Seaton Park. The park is absolutely beautiful and it has a nice river that runs through it.

Last week, I decided to travel to London and Paris to explore my surroundings. In London, I visited Notre Dame Cathedral, the city center, and went out to have a taste of London’s night life. In Paris, I visited the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs. The Catacombs is an underground place where the French stored dead bodies. Luckily for me, I knew enough French to at least find my way around. This came in handy when I was lost trying to find the train station.

Life abroad has been so great and fascinating. I’ve learned so much about how other people think with respect to life. I have seen how most people take life at a much slower pace. In two weeks, I will have my three week Spring Break! During those three weeks, I will be backpacking through Europe. I want to definitely visit, Rome, Amsterdam, Venice, Bologna, Barcelona, and Greece. Hopefully I will be able to see more than these places. I will definitely keep you all posted about the adventures I have through Europe.

Leon Back ’11 – I just started my abroad experience the first of March. I will be in Marburg, Germany for the duration of the German summer semester. However, as part of my program, I get to spend about a month in the city of Vienna, Austria, to work on my German. While I’ve only been here for two weeks, I’ve already made some great improvements in my language, or at least feel as if that is the case.

I am staying in a Studentheim, which is roughly a dormitory but has workers that take out our trash and vacuum our rooms, just behind the Parliament building. It is absolutely beautiful. For those of you that know a little about Vienna, this means I am not far form the Ringstrasse. For those not familiar with the Ringstrasse, it is a very important street that has some amazing architecture.

In Photo: Back at the Hapsburg Palace in Vienna.