The opportunity to study abroad is an important aspect of life at Mary Baldwin College. Here you can here stories from Baldwin women across the globe and those preparing to study abroad; whether for a year, semester, or May Term.

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Finals

I meant to write a post awhile ago but I've been busy with papers, presentations, and final exams (which are next week). There have been several interesting events since I last posted anything but mainly I've been trying to get ready to leave Japan; I've been doing some last shopping for souvenirs, meeting up with friends I met here, and packing. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends and family back home, but I'm also very sad to be leaving Japan. I don't think I'm going to have time for another blog post after this, but it's been lots of fun and I had an absolutely amazing time studying abroad in Japan.

Spring Break, Midterms, and Cherry Blossoms

I had really meant to write about spring break before this, but I got a bit caught up in preparing for midterms so I'm only just writing now, sorry!
I mainly took it easy during spring break but I did go see several interesting things here in the Kansai Area. I went to Osaka castle, which was built in the 16th century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi but has been destroyed and rebuilt several times since then. Currently the inside of the structure includes elevators and a modern museum (which has lots of English information for those who can't read Japanese). I went with a fellow student from Kansai Gaidai and we had a great time; the gardens are lovely, the castle majestic, the museum interesting (Hideyoshi was a crazy guy), and the castle provides a great view of Osaka from the top floor.
I also saw two different kinds of performances during the break. In Kyoto I saw a Kabuki performance, and I was actually surprised to find that I quite enjoyed it even though it was very long (about 5 hours long, I forgot to bring a lunch for intermission and got quite hungry XD ). The story was quite complicated with a long parade of different characters (samurai, princesses, yakuza, cat demonesses, geisha, assassins, etc. ); rather like a fairy tale crossed with a soap opera (I mean that in the best way possible. really. <3).
I also saw a Takarazuka performance. I went to a Takarazuka performance last semester that was based off of Hemingway's "For whom the Bell Tolls" but did not really enjoy it. I also, however, had seen a Takarazuka performance of "Elisabeth" (based off of the German musical) and did really like that. The show I saw over spring break was based off of Beauty and the Beast, and included a glitterific revue about the theme "one". The whole thing was over the top but SO much fun. Note: Takarazuka is an all female musical revue that started in the early part of the 20th century. It tends to be melodramatic and full of glitter, sparkles, and Vegas-style feather backed costumes.
After my trip into a world of castles, samurai, and glitter I was brought back to reality from my week break with the start of school and midterms. It seems that the all over the world such things are stressful. It was particularly hard because it's the start of cherry blossom season and hanami ("blossom viewing") and I really wanted to go out and enjoy it all. Thankfully midterms ended on Friday for me so I was able to go out a little bit this weekend. I went and did some window shopping with my roommate (a really cool Aussie girl) and helped her pick out a Yukata at Harajuku Chicago (if you're ever in Japan and want nice, inexpensive, 2nd hand kimono it's a good place to look, there is a store in Tokyo as well as Kyoto). We also walked around Gion a bit. There are several geisha odori (dances) going on right now and there were lots of decorations and posters out about them.
 

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Earthquake

I am sure by now you have all heard about the earthquake, tsunami, and other crises that have recently happened in Japan. I've been meaning to write a blog entry in regards to them, but to be perfectly honest I'm not quite sure what to say, so this will probably be a short entry and not up to fully describing anything about the situation.
My school is located in Osaka prefecture which was not affected by the earthquake or the aftermath, in fact the quake was barely felt here. However, as seen on the news here and I'm sure in America as well, the affected areas were devastated. There was enough panic and fear generated over these events that several foreign students at Kansai Gaidai felt the need to return to their home countries. Recovery for the affected areas will be hard but my thoughts and prayers go to all of those that were affected by the earthquake and it's aftermath.
-Kelsey Heathcoat

Day trips to back to Kyoto

Last week I took 2 day trips into Kyoto to visit some temples and shrines. This may seem rather strange since I spent all of last semester in Kyoto, but it's hard to go a block in Kyoto without coming across a temple/shrine/castle/historical site/ UNESCO world heritage site/ etc, so there are still plenty of places in Kyoto I haven't visited yet ( I also just happen to really enjoy and be biased for Kyoto).
Last Tuesday I visited a temple and 2 shrines; Ginkakuji, Heianjingu, and Yasakajinja. I enjoy learning about history and traditional culture and visiting Japan's temples and shrines are a great way to experience culture AND history, but I understand that's not every bodies cup of tea. However, Ginkakuji is really beautiful. Yasakajinja and Heianjingu are also both quite nice. Heianjingu has a rather large garden area, but I did enter it because there is an admission fee and I want to wait until later in the spring to see the gardens.
This weekend I returned to Kyoto, this time with the intention of seeing plum blossoms. Plum blossom viewing is not quite as popular or famous as the cherry blossom, but I think it's quite spectacular. Plum blossom's are some of the first flowers to bloom and come in white, pink, and deep red. It's still early in Plum blossom season so there weren't as many blooms as there will be later but there was still quite a beautiful atmosphere. Later that day I bought Kabuki tickets for later this month and was able to see a friend from Doshisha women's college.
 ~Kelsey Heathcoat

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**Honduras**

**Today is Day 38/63 in Honduras. This means that we have been here for 38 days and we have 67 more to go. Counting down the days is not a sign of wanted them to go by faster but just something I came up with when I was bored at home on a day off. So far Honduras has been treating us well. We have not been robbed yet and i hope that we will never get robbed. i do however keep one Lempira in a separate pocket just in case. With this tactic, I can still get robbed without actually giving up anything. My other money is in a separate place. Some days in my sock or in my back pocket. In the house is myself, my three friends from Mary Baldwin and Mikey. He is he for an entire year. We are all working for OYE (Organization for Youth Empowerment). OYE gives scholarships to deserving and hard working students. Typically in Honduras, the family have to have money for their kids to go to school. The students will need uniforms, books, pen, pencils and paper. It is common for kids to miss out on the opportunity to attend school because of the financial crisis of the family. OYE, which was founded by two young Americans who visited Honduras as adolescence, gives youth in Honduras the opportunity to grow in many ways. They offer youth the space to develop and facilitate it's own radio show, magazine and other projects. With the help of international volunteers like myself, OYE has had great help with helping the country of Honduras. It is a tough and dirty job but it has to get done. Countries such as Honduras, are beyond poor and is in need of as much help as possible.

**So far my experience has been great. Everyday I wake up, eat an egg and oatmeal for breakfast and walk to work if it is a work day. We have to walk for about 20 mins there and 20 mins back each day. Today I got caught in the rain. The rain felt good because it was still 80 degrees or more. At first, I would walk to work with tennis shoes on and then change into Sandals once i got here but I have gotten used to walking on the streets of Honduras. Most streets or roads here are not concrete. They are comprised of dirt and big rocks. I trip all the time. While in Honduras, I will be assisting the the diagnosis of a community called 'Montos de Los Olivos'. Recently (January 8,2011), they have been moved by the government from where they were located (unknown to me) to a deserted piece of land. The land is too far from the rest of civilization. Walking anywhere is nearly impossible. They have no water, no electricity, very little food if any and the list goes on. It reminds me of commercials i would see on T.V about giving to poor countries. To see this first hand is beyond amazing. In order for me to help this community, I must separate my personal feelings from professional ones. If the two are mixed, the investigation can be ruined. So far, we have been to the community twice. The kids remembered us and remembered the song I taught them. It is from Rhianna's song 'what's my name'. To open the kids up to me i sing "Ohh Na Na Como se llama? Ohh Na Na Como se llama?". They respond and I go on to the next kid. I know they have no clue that this is actually a song. They laugh and they giggle. I also taught them the Macarena. Each step or move to the dance has a number starting from one and ending with 11, then its HEY MACARENA. They love that as well. The kids always make my day. the next time i see them, I will be interviewing their family to get a better understand of what life is like for them. I assisted with the creation of the interview as well.
 
**I wish i hadn't slacked on blogging because there is so much i want to say starting from day one. That was a day i will never forget. We went to the creek just because. I ended up with a cut toe and screaming for my life. At the time I did not know Honduras was big on machetes so when two guys walk down with big machetes  i thought they were chasing us. My Friends and i just ran down stream dropping cameras and totally emerging ourselves in the water(Anything to save our lives). I was saying out loud, "Lord not today please. It's not my time" It is funny now but not when it happened. We helped paint two schools with George Washington University. They were down here for a week. We have been here for OYE move into it's new building. We have been to a boys orphanage called 'Pro Nino'. It is an organization that house 'street boys' or boys that have been abandoned by their families and who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. i met some really cool kids who also like "Ohh Na Na". This was the first group of kids i sung that too. The boys bring out my tomboyish side. i spent the day playing 'chase me' and playing soccer. They are like my little brothers. They know i speak little Spanish but that doesn't stop us from having a good time. They are very patient with us. Just the other Day i got to see them perform in a talent show. I hadn't seen them sense the first time I saw them. We we both surprised to see each other. I didn't even know I was going to see them perform. They were well dressed with their shirt tucked in, the total opposite from the first time i saw them.

**I have not been homesick yet. I miss my family and friends but not to the point that I want to go home or to where I feel homesick. We sleep two to a bed. We have a set of bunk beds and a separate twin. I sleep with A'ra on the bottom bunk and Shawnay and Shanee sleep on the separate twin. No one sleeps on the top bunk. We like our sleeping arrangements. For the first couple of nights we slept with the lights on until about 3am then we turned them off.
 
*I have to go because the office is closing but I will be sure to finish tomorrow. until next time America***

Winter Break

It's been a while since I posted; I'm afraid that I may not be very good at blogging.
As I said in my last entry during winter break I did a bit of traveling. I stayed in Osaka, Nikko, and finally Tokyo, and overall I had a wonderful time.
The first part of the trip was in Osaka. Even though I lived rather close to Osaka in Kyoto I hadn't really visited last semester. I feel a bit bad about not having visited Osaka more in the previous semester since it was only a pretty inexpensive 2 hour train ride away. Osaka overall was lots of fun and I plan to visit more often in the coming semester. Most of the sights and things to do in Kyoto tend to center around the traditional, but Osaka is most definitely a modern city. Dotonbori, a street packed with lots of restaurants, clubs, nightlife, shops, pachinko parlors, and neon shows this off spectacularly. Other highlights included the Tenpozan Ferris Wheel and the Kaiyukan aquarium.
After Osaka we took a night bus to Tokyo and went straight to Nikko by Train. Nikko is located up in the mountains and there was quite a bit of snow and ice, however with a bit of layering the weather wasn't too bad. Nikko is the location of quite a few famous temples and shrines as well as onsen, and while I would highly encourage others to go see these sights during these trip the main event was going to Edomura or "Edo Wonderland". Edomura is a Edo period (1603-1868 I think?) theme park with attractions such as a ninja show (also a ninja house & maze), period jailhouse, haunted Buddhist temple, restaurants, and much more. It is at times cliche and stereotypical (and at times even can go so far as to be historically inaccurate). I think, however, in this case the accuracies is not really the point so much as the atmosphere and fun, and I had a blast. There are a fair number of park workers who take on different period roles and interact and perform for the park-goers; my friend and I were caught up in a police search for a female theft (we took the theft's side as she had given us free pins earlier) which ended in a fight and the theft escaping. I'm easily scared so I couldn't bring myself to go into the haunted temple but with the help of my friend and random Japanese saleryman I manged to make it through one of the ninja houses (which included a shaking room, a room with a tilted floor and a skeleton asking if you were drunk in Japanese, a hall of mirrors and some upside-down rooms among other things) and had a blast once I actually manged to make it through.
After Nikko it was on to Tokyo! While in Tokyo we stayed in a hostel in Asakusa, the hostel was a bit crowded but the area was really nice. We were quite close to the underground and to some famous tourist attractions. I had visited Tokyo on a May term trip last year and greatly enjoyed it, and during this trip I revisited some places and visited new ones as well! Highlights of this trip included a visit to the Square Enix Showcase, Yoyogi Park, and the Ghibli museum. The Square Enix Showcase is the store for a rather large company (some of you may know video games such as Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, or Assassin's Creed?), lots of cool merchandise and displays. Yoyogi park is the famed park near the Harajuku fashion district and the Meiji Jingu shrine. We visited on Sunday and were able to see different performers in the park, my favorite were a group dressed up like greasers and poodle-skirt-girls dancing to 50's music. The Ghibli museum ( who create movies such as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howel's Moving Castle) is very cute and has lots of little entertaining things in it.
I have now moved into the dorms at Kansai Gaidai. Kansai Gaidai has a much larger foreign student program than Doshisha Women's College (with several hundred foreign students instead of the 8 that were at Doshisha Women's College last semester). Kansai Gaidai also differs from Doshisha Women's College (and MBC) in that it is co-educational. Personally I don't think that either of these factors makes one program better than the other but depending on the student's preferences it could make a difference. There are foreign students from all around the world here, and not just North America. As a French minor it's been nice to meet some native French speakers, but I fear that I'm becoming rusty as far as my French speaking abilities go. There is a rather wide selection of lecture course in English for foreign students at KG (how I'll now be referring to Kansai Gaidai), and I decided to take a Japanese history course as well as a "Body and Communication in Japan" course (a course focusing on gestures, sign language, dance, theatre, fashion, and non-verbal forms of communication). So far everything has been going pretty well, and I'm hoping it will continue to do so. I'm finishing this post on Valentines day, and it was snowing today.
~Kelsey Heathcoat

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Japan: Winter Break

So I am now roughly halfway through my stay in Japan. I spent the first semester at Doshisha Women`s College in Kyoto. I had lots of fun there; it`s a really small program (there were only 8 foreign students) but the exchange center staff were all very nice and it was a really enjoyable experience.
I`ve now been on winter break for several weeks and have been having a great time! My family came to visit me in Kyoto and myself and Jackie, fellow MBC student and generally awesome person, acted as their tour guides. We had a great time; going to Nijou Castle, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kiyomizudera Temple, Karaoke, and much more. My mother and I did Maiko Henshin together; which invloves dressing up as a Maiko (an appretice Geisha) or Geiko (the word for Geisha in the Kyoto dialect) and having photos taken. It was an amazing amount of fun.
Currently Jackie and I are staying at a friends apartment in Kyoto and getting ready to do a good amount of traveling. Tomorrow we plan to head to Osaka for a week, then to Nikko for a couple of days, and finally on to Tokyo! I`ll try to post later about how that all goes.
~Kelsey Heathcoat

Winter Break in Japan

Hi~! Jackieです！ \(^_^)/

I'm enjoying winter break in Japan with my fellow squirrel Kelsey. We've spent the last couple of weeks around Kyoto visiting sites like Nijo Castle, Fushimi Inari shrine, and Toei Studio Park. It's been great! I have lots of photos to share, but this internet cafe won't let me upload anything! XO Next time~!

Tomorrow we're off to the big city of Osaka, and shortly after to the bigger city of Tokyo. Exciting, right!? O.O

My Japanese has improved a lot, and I was surprised at just how easy it was adjusting to life in a culture so different then my own.  Studying abroad in Japan is a once in a lifetime experience, and I am making the best of every day. ^^ 人生は一期一会!

(^ _ ^)/~~じゃまた！

Welcome!