Castro, Italy
November 29, 2013
While I was in Italy just this past summer visiting my Mom's side of the family we stayed in a small town called Pofi. The town itself is very farm oriented and everybody knows everybody!Just next to this small town, is yet another small town called Castro. Castro is very unique! It is located specifically in Frosinone, Italy. The population is just at 5,039 people.
This small town is very unique due to its mass amounts of history, as well as, the amazing architecture that still stands there today.
The buildings are standing from the 1400's. These streets ruled by kings and queens. The German army even walked through these streets. Today, many families inhabit the houses and have made these buildings their own.The photo on the left is the church that sits right in the core of Castro. This church is beautiful as it has much character due to its paintings, books, sculptures and more. The church is named after St. Olive. It was believed that back while wars broke out, St. Olive was the protector of Castro. She clothed herself in a black cloak and when she found her people to be in danger of the enemy she would put her cloak over the city. It was because of her that Castro is still standing today.
Places like Castro remind us that even in the smallest of town's lies a great deal of history and beauty. You just have to be willing to go and explore to find it!
- Mary
Chicoutimi, Québec
November 7, 2014
In 2012 I had the opportunity to go on an exchange program throughout Canada to enhance my French speaking and writing. The program is called Explore, and it is run through the government of Canada. The government provides students with bursaries to attend a University for 5 weeks throughout the summer. When I applied I wanted to be somewhere in Quebec. Many students wanted to go to big cities - but I wanted a small city so that I would ensure I would be forced to speak French for the full 5 weeks. My first choice was Chicoutimi - and lucky me, I got it!When I received my welcome letter I was told that I would be staying with a host family with one other student. This worried me, but also excited me. Also, I was told that I would be attending the UQAC which stands for Université du Québec À Chicoutimi. So, I prepared myself as much as I could and my Dad drove me 11 hours to my destination.
My first impression of Chicoutimi was extremely positive. The town was small, clean and had a lot of culture and character. I was nervous when I got to the school - but I noticed that so were the other students who were also waiting for their host family. When my host family arrived, it finally hit me. They did not speak a word of English and my French speaking skills was all that I had to rely on.
When I got to the house I had dinner waiting for me. This was a good sign - these people clearly knew the long trip I had gone on. A few hours later my roomie showed up - we became good friends very quickly! We both wanted to explore the town - so that's just what we did.
While we were walking around we couldn't believe how beautiful it was being right next to the water. Here are some photos so you can see for yourself!
Not to mention to people and the amazing culture. While we were out exploring we noticed a big crowd of people and music playing. As we got closer we saw that they were line dancing. The community comes together a few times a week to dance with one another. I thought this was so amazing. Here is a clip:
Throughout my time spent in Chicoutimi I was able to explore so many amazing places that enhanced my trip. The community is so welcoming - I really couldn't have asked for a better summer thanks to my host family, UQAC and the many friends I made.
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| Anna, host mom and I exploring Chicoutimi. |
El Chile, Nicaragua
November 3, 2014
I have always wanted to have the opportunity to travel to a less fortunate country. The possibility of experiencing a completely different culture and life somewhere else in the world. The chance of helping those in this world that need it most. But most of all, learning how very fortunate I really am.
During my second year of university my roommate and best friend, Danielle, suggested doing a mission trip. The idea at first scared me, and I immediately said no. Danielle was persistent and began researching all the places the two of us could go. There were several, and the amount of organizations that do these trips was enormous as well. As we began to look more into it, I too thought how much fun this type of trip would be. Instead of doing a mission trip with an outside organization, we decided to look at what our very own university had to offer. Brock does many types of trips through different organizations. The one that we chose was called SOS, Students Offering Support. We wanted to go in the summer, preferably for two weeks, at the end or beginning, to avoid conflicts with our summer employment. The place that worked best for us was Nicaragua.Nicaragua is located in Central America, as shown above. The community that we would be working in is called El, Chile. I had no idea what I signed up for but once we completed the paper work and payments there was no turning back!
When we arrived to Nicaragua I have quite the culture shock. Not only were the people living there speaking Spanish but there way of life was also very different. Our travels from the airport was very long. It took about two hours in a large bus to take the ten of us to the community we would be living in.
When we arrived I could not believe my eyes. We stayed with a family who lived on a farm; a mother her two sons and her daughter-in-law. The house was extremely small and there was no real form of security. The ten of us were squished side by side in a tiny concrete room, with mosquito nets everywhere. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner with the family - and it was the same food over and over again. Rice, beans, oatmeal. Our shower...was well...interesting. Here is a photo so you can see for yourself. We all showered in our bathing suits that way we could save some of the water. The water came from the well and was filled from time to time. Standing behind the black curtain we would have to grab a bucket of cold water and put it over our bodies. It was extremely difficult to get used to - and when I got back home I was so thankful for running water, that was nice and hot.
Although there were some cultural differences that were difficult to get used to the best part was spending time with the children in El Chile at the elementary school we were helping to build. This is a photo of the group on our very first day. We had to first build a foundation and then start putting together the concrete blocks and wires for support. It was a lot of hard work - but it was totally worth it!The weather in Nicaragua was very very hot. So working throughout the day was tiring. In order to be as efficient as possible the ten of us decided to work in shifts. Some of us during the day would work outside, while the others spent their time in the classrooms. We played games, taught English and even learned a little bit of spanish ourselves. The kids and the teachers really appreciated our efforts.
The very last day of our trip was so very sad. We went to the school, like we normally would, but this time the students and the community came together to present us with a wonderful gift. The students put together traditional dances, music, and even created individual cards for us to take back home with us. It is safe to say all ten girls were in tears by the end of it!
My heart was filled with so much love on this day. Although there was a huge language barrier, it was easy to tell that they were thankful for everything that we did for their community.
I took so much away from this trip and I will forever be grateful for what I learned.
Link to SOS website for more information: http://www.studentsofferingsupport.ca/
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| Family photo on our last day. |
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