Table of contents Page 3 Introduction Page 4 & 5
About us
Page 6 & 7
Heating the hotspots
Page 8 We Are Page 9
Why are you lying?
Page 10 & 11
Interview with Marie Huth
Page 12
Sneak peak into South Africa
Page 13
Interview with Bram van der Meijden
Page 14
Column: Should I stay or should I go?
Page 15
Good development
Page 16
Leadership & Creative Climates
Page 17
Studying abroad & Racism
Page 18
Study at the world’s most magical place
Page 19
Tasting different cultures
Introduction
Dear reader, Before you, you have the “Abroad” magazine. It’s where we tell you about our experiences with the International We Are Conference week and what we think about studying abroad! Studying abroad is not something you do easily. You have so many things that you need to keep in mind! Studying anywhere on this planet takes a bit of preparation but, you can see also see it as the quote “Whenever, wherever”. Dont let anyone or anything stop you from doing what you love, and check out the articles! We have two interviews with people who know a fair few things about being abroad and all sorts of updates on the world. How you design your program for your own internship, holiday or minor, be sure to read “Abroad”. It will help you to start your way to maybe paradise. ;)
About us
Simone Nagtzaam Hi, my name is Simone and I am 18 years old. Studying abroad is something I would love to do. This week, the international week, is great for making connections with people from foreign countries. At this moment, I am not sure where I want to go to for my minor and internship. My dream is to travel and see as much as I can of the world. Hopefully, I will be able to follow my dreams abroad!
Laura Vermeer My name is Laura, I think I have quite some hobbies: Playing the piano, painting, decorating, singing, although that one never made anyone happy.. shopping (of course) and cuddling with my cats. But I think my biggest hobby is traveling. I want to see the world! But not only the mainstream touristic stuff, I want to see the real culture, how people live their lives. Studying abroad could be a major opportunity to explore this.
Terrezzy van Haaren As an enthusiastic guitarist and music lover, I gained a lot of experience in co-working with other musicians the past years. Besides my study, I put a lot of time in the band I’m playing for called ‘Scarlet Oak’. One of my goals is to have the fortunate luck to work across borders. I like traveling a lot and I think it’s interesting to learn from other cultures. One of the places I would love to visit is Nashville. It’s the world capital of music.
Laura Busio Hi, I’m Laura. As a student, going abroad while I’m studying is my dream. I hope to do my internship abroad, as it is a great experience to get connections all around the world. I’m looking into the details about the Disney World internship. You can read about that in this magazine! I have already traveled a lot around Europe, but I hope to see as many countries as possible in the next few years!
Dorien van Welie My name is Dorien, I’m 20 years old and live in Tilburg. I grew up in a little village with my mom, dad and brother. Together we own a family business. Since I was young I played the saxophone. Being busy with music is my passion. I’d love to discover new music and help the musicians, giving them credit for what they’ve done. The study I do at this moment is hopefully a springboard to reach that goal!
Emma Versteegh My name is Emma, I am 19 years old. My hobbies are dancing, singing and watching movies on the couch. I really want to go to London and follow a psychology course. I want to learn how you could communicate best with coworkers. I would like to learn Spanish, so I am thinking of studying abroad in Barcelona too. I really want to learn other people and have great adventures.
Joseph Gariba My name is Joseph, I am 18 years old. As one of the few ‘African-European’ students at Fontys ACI, I thought I should write about racism. I wrote a piece about racism and studying abroad. Most people don’t think about it before deciding to study abroad. I hope to raise more awareness towards this subject. Read the artical on one of the last pages, I hope it interests you.
Maarten Bakx My name is Maarten, I am 23 years old. One of the thing I love most of this education is that they advise you to study abroad. I think it’s exciting to meet people form a different country. I think it is a life changing experience to live alone in a different country and it makes you more self-aware of what we already got. Daan Mennen My name is Daan, I live in Meijel and I’m nineteen years old. I got a lot of hobbies that I like to do in my leisure. First of all, I like to watch series and films. The second thing I like is to go to festivals often, with my friends. I like a lot of music genres like pop, rock, dance, house and techno. What I like about the study is that there are so many things where you can specialize yourself in. A lot of the branches of this study also connect to the things where I am interested in. Liselotte van Veenendaal Hi! I’m Liselotte but you can call me Liz. I really enjoy speaking English and connecting with foreign people. I already have a bit of a network, thanks to the buddy program I did last schoolyear. I really want to study abroad, preferably a minor in Japan and a internship somewhere in Ireland. I want to expand my view and my knowledge as much as I can!
About us
Heating the hotspots Have you ever thought about studying or doing your internship abroad? It is becoming more common to cross the borders while you are studying. Therefore, Fontys ACI is exploring the world and creating partnership with universities around the world. These partnerships have created the so-called hotspots, at this moment there are four: New York, London, Cape Town and Seoul. But what is a hotspot exactly? A hotspot is, as described bij Maaike Rijnders: a planned effort to build a hub of international and local citizens, educators, students, representatives from the industry as wel as the public sector who are strategically engaged in a set of activities. The main goal of going to the hotspots or going abroad in general is creating the employability of students and graduates without intercultural borders. There are a couple ways to go to these hotspots. First, the student exchange. Students from Fontys ACI will go to a partner university and their exchange students can come to Tilburg. Teachers can also exchange! Fontys ACI also gives you the opportunity to go abroad for your internship and your minor. Students can go abroad for an entire year, six month or stay in the Netherlands. Do you still have doubts about going abroad to one of these hotspots? Make sure you read the information on the right!
The hotspots New York City, United States of America: Country: The United States is the world’s third largest country in population and in area. It consists of 50 states and a federal district. The conterminous (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) United States stretches across central North America from the Atlantic Ocean on the east to the Pacific Ocean on the west, and from Canada on the north to Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico on the south. Average temperature (July): 29°C Partner university: University of New York Sights: Central Park, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Memorial London, United Kingdom: Country: The United Kingdom, consisting of Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland) and Northern Ireland , is twice the size of New York State. England, in the southeast part of the British Isles, is separated from Scotland on the north by the granite Cheviot Hills; from them the Pennine chain of uplands extends south through the center of England, reaching its highest point in the Lake District in the northwest. Average temperature (July): 22°C Partner university: University of East London Sights: London Eye, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower Bridge Cape Town, South Africa: Country: South Africa, on the continent’s southern tip, is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and by the Indian Ocean on the south and east. Its neighbours are Namibia in the northwest, Zimbabwe and Botswana in the north, and Mozambique and Swaziland in the northeast. Average temperature (January): 22°C Partner university: Vega School in Cape Town and Johannesburg Sights: Cape of Good Hope, Robben Island, Boulders Beach and Table Mountain Seoul, South Korea: Country: South Korea, slightly larger than Indiana, South Korea lies below the 38th parallel on the Korean peninsula. It is mountainous in the east; in the west and south are many harbors on the mainland and offshore islands. Average temperature (July): 24°C Partner universities: - Dongguk University - Sookmyung Women’s University - Konkuk University Sights: Gyeongbokgung (Palace), N Seoul Tower, Lotte World
We Are... TJ Postman
Makheni Zonneveld
TJ Postman is a visionary instigator and keynote speaker. Monday 5th of December, he came to Hall of Fame at Spoorzone Tilburg. The keynote was about three verbs: be, dream and do. TJ is living his dream right now. To come so far, he got rid of all his belongings two years ago. Do whatever makes you happy! If that means traveling for you internship or minor, go for it! He is supporting people finding out who they really are. Because … “ WE ARE the small things that can have a huge impact” Hopefully, you can be a positive impact for humanity. Some examples who succeeded to achieve their personal goal, are: Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Wally Triplett.
“I have a dream…” Martin Luther King Jr. was a Bapist minister and social activist, who led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the mid-1950’s until his death by assassination in 1968.
Makheni Zonneveld is a transformational speaker, coach, storyteller and a diversity & management specialist. On the 6th of December, she came to give a lecture about multiculturalism. It was called ‘Beyond Multiculturalism’. She is from Cape Town, South Africa, one of the four Fontys ACI hotspots.
We all make assumptions We all have stereotypes We all have prejudices We all discriminate What now? The key is to create awareness. Your mindset determines your approach. We all get conditioned, what we learn at the age of four will make us see the world a particular way. For example, when we think of a pilot we see a male. When we think of a nurse, we see a female. It’s all about stereotypes that we have noticed at a very young age.
‘’No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.’’ - Albert Einstein
Why are you lying? I’m not, I’m just being polite Your time abroad is much easier when you adjust. Try to act like you’re one of them. Go to local restaurants, local pubs and try to avoid the touristic places or restaurants like the McDonalds. If you do, you get a glance of the locals and how they live their lives. It makes it easier to learn about their culture. The culture is also in their language. Even if you think you can speak it fluently, it can be hard to understand people. Because it’s not always directly in the words, sometimes it’s in the meaning behind it. A lot of expressions are very different between cultures. Even though you say exactly the same, it can mean something completely different. If you try to figure out the language you can learn a lot about the culture. Try to make a little chat with locals, ask what they’re doing, it can give you a little insight about how they spend their free time and other habits. In England for example it’s all about politeness. If they invite you, that you must come over for dinner, they don’t really think you ‘must come over for dinner’ or that they really like you. They’re just being polite. Same thing when they ask you how you’re doing. They don’t really want to know, it just polite to ask.
Dutch people are very honest and straight. This could cause some trouble with other cultures like the English culture. They rather keep their mouths shut, then tell someone honest that the dress they are wearing is very ugly. While Dutch people feel the urge to tell them. But if they do, English people can be very offended by it. Networking: it is super important! In some countries your life is all about getting out of bed in the morning, work, dinner, maybe a little workout or something, sleep and repeat. The biggest part of your day you spend at work. If you know people and can get along with your colleges as friends it could make your life a lot easier and more fun. It’s also very handy when you need something or someone, that you already know each other. When you need something from a stranger it’s extra hard, especially when you’re from another country.
Someone who knows a lot about different cultures and how to deal with it and how to proper blend in, is Marie Huth, account director at Sidhu and Simon in London. She is born in Germany, worked in the Netherlands for over five years and made friends for life from countries all over the world. After this adventure, she took a plain to England for an internship at Sidhu and Simon in London and never left. Sometimes from one subject straight to another, from Germany to Portugal to France and back. We got the chance to get a sneak peek into her life surrounded by all kinds of different cultures! Read the next page for the interview
Interview with Marie Huth What’s the biggest difference between different cultures? ‘German people and Dutch people are very (VERY) straight. We say exactly what we think. But it’s a kind of guessing game with English people. They call it “Beat around the buss”, in England. When I wrote my first press release I showed it to my supervisor and she told me it was pretty good. I was like “wow that’s great, my first press release is already pretty good.” But when I got the feedback, everything was red.. What made sense because it was my first press release. But I didn’t understand why they said it was pretty good and afterwards, almost everything was marked as wrong. That is their culture. They are almost ashamed to give you an honest feedback in your face. They are extremely polite, it was something I had to learn. When you understand the culture difference, you get used to it. They have a kind of a gentleman’s codex. French people on the other hand, are completely different. They know exactly what they want, and if you try to convince them something else is better, they just won’t listen. German people also know exactly what they want, but they are more open to your advice. They give you more space for your ideas but they do tell you what they like and what they don’t like. Italian people… o Italian people. You just have to ‘go with the flow’. You must be very flexible, you never know what will happen! If you want to discuss something, to plan something, they just say: “It will all be all right. That’s comes later.” They don’t teach you this kind of stuff at school. You need to experience it. Back to the English people! Beside the fact that it’s quite difficult in the beginning, it’s very good for the atmosphere. Everybody is so polite and friendly to each other. If it’s necessary, they would tell you if you do something wrong. But only if the world is ending if they didn’t. There is always a good working atmosphere. Sometimes it can be difficult because the client says he want something but means something different. You need to learn how to read between the lines. It’s like a new skill you’ve got to learn.
Not only are the habits of English people difficult for us (The Germans and the Dutch), it also works the other way around. English people can think you’re very rude when you act so straight. I really did notice it when I worked in Holland with my friends, they are from France, Slovakia, England and Spain. On the other hand, because you work so closely together you don’t really get to meet a lot of locals. So you don’t get a good chance to get to know the culture and habits of people. It creates a lot of confusion and misunderstanding. For example you get a phone call. An Englishman always asks ‘how are you’ before they ask for the right person. Dutch and German people don’t. A German client calls the office regularly and it’s always the same: My college picks up the phone and press hold saying: “Marie it’s the German guy, he’s so rude! He didn’t ask me how I am pff.” They really appreciate the small talk before getting into business. Of course you have to be yourself! Most of the time they can laugh about it. But in common they think Dutch people are very unkind. Especially when they don’t know you in person. After some little chit-chat we came across another subject (very important): The pub English people are very social. When you go to the pub by yourself they easily come to you for a little talk. You never have to worry if you will have a great night because they will make sure you don’t get bored. It’s easily to get to know a lot of new people, things about the people, their culture and habits. As easily as they come to you for a fun talk, as easily they can feel a little bit offended if you don’t ‘go with the flow’: ‘Not so long ago I was in the church with an English friend of mine and we started praying. I only know the words in German so I had no idea what to do. If I did it in German they would notice so I kept quiet. Afterwards she asked me (a little bit offended) why I didn’t participate. I’m sorry I only know it in German…’
How important is networking? I’m working at a small PR company for eight years now. You get to know everyone in de business. When we recruit new employees different companies call each other if they have an good intern but don’t have a workplace for them at the moment. You will almost never find new vacancy online, it’s all about who knows who. Networking is super important! If I can give you an advice: do as much internships as possible, it’s so good for so many things. We only hire interns or recommend them to other companies and I know a lot of other companies do the same. And make your time worth it! Don’t sit on your phone all day passing the time but show them who you are and in what way you can provide the team. Is it important that you can speak the language fluently? It’s not that important if you speak fluently English or something. Your vibe is much more important! One time I had a job interview and this girl from Portugal, she could barely speak English but her vibe was amazing! We decided to give it a try and she is still part of our team. And her English is perfect now. Something funny I noticed about the French people, they are really proud to be French. Someone works and lives in London for ten years now, but he still sounds like he arrived in England this morning because of his accent. So don’t worry if you live in a country where you learn the language automatically, you just have to step up and speak! People will help you, believe me.’ Last but certainly not least. You gave us a lot of do’s during this interview. But nobody does everything perfect without making mistakes. Do you have some funny bloopers you want to share with us? Oh haha yes of course I made some bloopers! For example, I never recognize celebrities. Sometimes they are at the office for an appointment and I always introduce myself, ask for their name, offer them some coffee or tea and have a little talk with them. The conversations are always great and a lot of fun but my boss always comes to me afterwards “do you know who that was?” and then I’m like “Oh no, not again!”
I had one huge mistake! In my first year at Sidhu and Simon there was a big exhibition for a French client. We were going to present a new cognac, a very expensive one, €30.000. I had to organize an event for around 40 people. A lot of very rich people, some celebrities. Everything was set up, the catering, location, decoration, actors who would present the cognac. We spend over €60.000 on the event when the next thing happened. Three people showed up. THREE PEOPLE. I couldn’t believe my eyes. And the client was furious and he was yelling and shouting and all I could think of was “don’t cry, don’t cry!” Turned out I forgot to call everyone the day before the event, so everyone forgot there was one! There are so many events every day in London, so normally you send an invitation (if you need 30 people you need to have 80 people confirmed), the week before a reminder per e-mail and the day before you need to call them. I forgot the last step. I was very lucky my team stood up for me and helped me find a solution to make it right, but I will never, ever forget to make that call again!
Sneak peak into South Africa
When people think about South Africa they often relate that to cabins, spears, poverty and so on. None of that is true nowadays. What many people don’t know is that South Africa is on a rise. The last decades South Africa has made great progress, but they never show that in the media. Fortunately, there are independent platforms as Our World in Data, where different maps are created to show the growth of South Africa. From schooling till undernourishment, Africa keeps getting healthier and that’s a good thing to establish. Throughout the years, the education system in South Africa made an incredible rise. Thanks to programs which were financed by different organisations like: Edukans, Anikefoundation and many more. We also must not forget the many volunteers who gave children in South Africa the chance to get an education.
South Africa has, since the early 90’s, grown huge economically. Thanks to that growth there were a lot of jobs created and therefor the residents in South Africa can get their own income. The percentage of people living in poverty is reduced with more than ten percent and is still going down. This growth isn’t just in a few countries. Past the last twenty years many African countries have had a strong impulse. Most people known South Africa because of what you see in the media. Children who don’t get enough food and looking very thin. Although there are still places where children don’t get enough to eat, there are also a lot of countries where they solved that problem. Because of innovation and modernization in the agriculture, the supply of nutrition has made huge progress and the numbers of starving children decreased a lot. The young generation in Africa is better educated than ever before. This is also the main reason that Africa will only continue to grow faster in the future. South Africa keeps on rising! Thanks to all the progress South Africa made over the years, the country gets more interesting for travellers to visit. Not only travellers are going to South Africa, thanks to the rising education you can also study abroad in South Africa. We had an interview with a student who recently studied for six months in South Africa, his name is Bram van der Meijden. For his Minor of business economics, he went to Cape Town to study at the university named Vega School in Cape Town, Johannesburg. Read about his experiences on the next page!
Interview with Bram van der Meijden Why did you go to South Africa for your minor abroad? “In 2010 I went to South Africa with my parents during the holidays. Then I immediately knew I wanted to go back to Cape Town. When the opportunity came to studying abroad I only wanted to go to South Africa. It’s a really beautiful country and I thought It would be cool to study there.” What did you learn from your experiences of studying abroad? “It sounds a bit cliché, but it really changed my life. You live in a whole different world. Everything is different and in the beginning, you are all by yourself. Back here, in the Netherlands, I lived my whole life at my parents’ house. I never had to cook or do my own laundry and when you are alone in a different continent you need to do everything by yourself. Studying abroad makes you self-aware and made me grow from a little mommy’s boy to an independent adult. Not only the beautiful landscapes but also the people who live there are extremely different than us Dutch people. They have fewer resources than us but are never complaining and always friendly to strangers.”
Should you recommend students to study abroad? “Yes! Definitely! I know it sounds pretty scary to travel alone to the other side of the world and study at a different university than you used to, but it will be something you never forget and always cherish. In South Africa I became an adult and met people that were also studying abroad. I still talk to them and I made memories with them that I will never forget. It creates a special band that not everyone can understand.” How does it feel to get back to the Netherlands? “I would say it feels great to be back. I really loved my time to travel and study in South Africa, and I will definitely miss the awesome time I had there. I’m just glad I realised how lucky we are back home and I started to miss my friends and family. That’s why six months studying abroad are just enough for me and now I’m also glad that I am back home.”
Column Should I stay or should I go? When I was young I wanted to be abroad. Discover new cultures and places. After I graduated from high school I wanted to do a gap year. I don’t know why I didn’t go, but the wish to go abroad didn’t disappear. When I started university I found out that it isn’t difficult to go abroad with help from the university. In this article you can read the benefits and disadvantages of going abroad. According to research most of the people want to go abroad because they want to expand their network. Another good reason to go is to learn a language better. But you not only learn a lot of the other culture, you also learn about yourself! ‘’How to deal with unexpected situations’’. I believe that a person who went abroad is a lot more self-confident. That is a characteristic that you need in future companies, to make your name stand out. It is an advantage if you have experiences abroad, it shows that you have guts and are open for other cultures. A lot of reasons to go, but what are the disadvantages? Going abroad costs a lot of money. But you can see this as an investment in yourself. You have the opportunity to do so many things that are helpful to get better in your specialism. Not only in your native country but also abroad. Another point why people don’t go abroad, is their family and friends. For a (maybe long) period of time, you have to leave them. I know for sure that they will be proud of you when you climb that ‘’abroad hill’’. Last week there was a conference with loads of speakers. One of them was Marie Huth. She told us a little bit more on how to deal with different cultures (you can read her interview on page nine). At her job, she experienced the variety in cultures all the time. She was in Italy once, where the culture is very laid back in comparison with the German or Dutch culture. She planned a meeting with a few important persons, but they didn’t show up on time. It became later and later. The meeting finally took place two ours too late! After that, Marie found out it was the Italian culture causing the delay. Her motto, a cheeky wink to the Italians, is ‘’Do in Rome like Romans do’’. Don’t be stubborn to implement your own culture, but go with the flow and experience it. I would recommend you to go abroad. Not only for the companies you might attract with your resume and a good future perspective, but also for yourself. Climb that hill and also dare to make some mistakes! Tips for going abroad. - When money is a problem: don’t ask big presents for your birthday but a financial contribution for your big trip. The keyword is being creative! - Do a lot of research before you go. Write simple things down like helpful phone numbers and look for your health insurances. You never know what’s going to happen! - Ask for help when you need it. You don’t have to do everything on your own. - Stick a few weeks after your minor or internship. Go and discover the country. It is fun and a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Good development If you’re a marketing student, like an ACI student in Tilburg, the way of using marketing is different abroad. Every country have his own culture and way of thinking. This applies not only for a marketing study but also for other studies. it’s important for students to learn the differences in cultures in different countries, so they can gather new experiences. In this article I took a marketing study as example to make my point clear, and why it is important to go abroad as a student and learn the different cultures. First of all what is marketing communication? Marketing communication is the way companies communicate to their customers in form of advertisements. Every company needs a strategy to reach their potential customers. Every strategy has a main advertise process what is the same for every country. Beside this process, every country have his own culture about advertisement. The main process for marketing communication The advertise process starts with a problem that needs to be solved. The problem could be the brand image of the company, the brand awareness of the company or maybe to build customer loyalty. When the problem is identified, the targets have to be chosen. With targeting one have to look after the socio demographic factors and habits of the customer group. With this information, it is clearly how the product is used by the customer group. Now there can be set up a creative media strategy. In this strategy, the unique selling points should clearly emerge and the main message has to be clear. There can be used a variety of media channels like television, radio and social media. This are important steps to set up a advertise process for companies.
But what are the differences in advertisements between cultures? Companies use often the same advertisement in different countries, but these advertisements are adapted for each country. The original advertisements are often made into English, but the main language in almost all of the countries in Europe is not English. So every country in Europe will make his own copy of the advertisement. If we look at advertisements on television, in Germany they will always get a voice over. The voice over will be in German. In France, some parts of the commercial will get a voice over into France, and some parts will hold the original language (mostly English). When a commercial in France will hold the original language, there will always be subtitles. In the Netherlands, some parts of commercials will get a voice over and some parts will hold the original language. Besides of the language in commercials in different countries, commercials that are made for only one country are often based on traditional habits. For instance in French commercials you’ll see typical French things like Paris or the French kissing. But you won’t see the Dutch Mills or the Oktoberfest from German. It is usual that the commercial is based on the country himself and the culture of it. But there can be exceptions if the product has to do with another country. Going abroad is a good way of understanding new cultures. As a marketer student there are different cultures that you have to understand when you’re going to work abroad. It’s just important to learn these different cultures so you can deliver good work, and make some progress for yourself. But this applies not only for a marketing study, but also for a lot of other studies. When you’re going abroad you’re not only learning a new culture but also a new language what is a good development for yourself.
Leadership & Creative climate Mark Vandeal How can studying abroad be beneficial for being a good leader? First you have to ask yourself what really is a good leader? Well for example if you can listen and understand your employee the collaboration between employer and employee will grow and the company will run better and you can lead them better. If you study abroad, you will probably go to a country that you are not known with, so you have the learn the language and their way of living. This can be hard at the beginning but if u really listen to and understand the people how are helping you, you eventually will learn the language and their way of living. So by learning to listen to people and by understanding them you can eventually use this when you want to be a good leader. Support for new ideas from their team leader is critical for the further development of these ideas. Especially supportive leaders listen and give feedback to ideas.
Studying abroad can really help you become more creative. American studies have shown people who have studied abroad are better at coming up with creative solutions to the problems they faced. Experience abroad is important for job opportunities and develop creativity, audacity and ambition. I think if you go studying abroad you will learn so much about others and about their culture. By learning about their culture you will be able to understand them more. It is very important you chose the study you love and not the country you love. Because even when you love the country you still have to follow the classes for six months. So choose wisely.
Studying abroad & Racism Not exactly an easy topic but definitely something that needs to be discussed. Most people don’t even think about this before deciding to study abroad, but race-inequality differs a lot from country to country. So here are a few things you must keep in mind. 1. When you travel abroad you basically become a minority. Most ‘white’ people don’t realise that a minority doesn’t have to be ‘black’, Asian or Latino. As a foreigner in a country you are a minority. This isn’t directly something bad but there is something that you need to keep in mind. Minorities are easy victims for pickpockets and scammers. Especially when they are not native inhabitants from that country. For example, many taxi drivers charge foreigners more than natives. An easy way to try to make sure you don’t get scammed is to stick with your friends. They mostly know the regular prices, and are more able to confront people when they are treating you wrong.
2. Gender equality isn’t the same in all countries. In some countries (especially Muslim countries) man and woman are not equal. In those countries women are inferior to men. In some cases women even have less rights than men. Not only in Muslim countries man and woman are not equal, but in some Latin American countries women also have less rights than men. Luckily the differences between man and woman are a lot smaller in western countries. Still there can be differences in the culture that may or may not encourage women to do certain things.
3. Some countries are more racist than others. The view on racism is very different in America when you compare it to Europe. T he Afro-American community has been through hard times, and still doesn’t feel completely accepted. Due to this certain subjects are more sensitive than in the most of Europe. In the Netherlands the cultures are much more integrated and live together. But in America the ‘black’ community lives mainly in separate neighbourhoods. As an exchange student you probably won’t notice as much about it as natives.
You must always keep in mind that certain things or jokes and such can’t be made, due to the tough history of the community in America. This doesn’t only apply to America, but also in other countries racism is treated differently than in the Netherlands. For example in Italy the black community is significantly more discriminated than in the Netherlands. It’s more difficult for ‘black’ people to apply for jobs than it is for ‘white’ people. It’s more difficult to get a job as a native ‘black’ person than as a foreign ‘white’ person. So before you go and study abroad it’s highly recommended you do some research on racism, and the history of certain ethnic groups in the country you want to visit. For example the movie / documentary ‘Crossing borders: American Textures’, is a great way to see how the Americans deal with racism. In that documentary you’ll see both sides of the struggle. Not only the Afro-American society is illustrated, but also the Latino-Americans. Watching these kind of movies and films is a great way to prepare yourself for studying abroad. Especially if you are not ‘white’.
Study at the world’s most magical place
Everyone knows Disney. It’s one of the most popular brands worldwide and the company is responsible for 612 movies until now. The Walt Disney World resort is a complex near Orlando, also known as the world capital of theme parks. This resort is the flagship destination of Disney’s worldwide enterprise. To be clear, Walt Disney world is the most visited vacation resort in the world. This amazing resort houses twenty-seven themed resort hotels, nine non-Disney hotels, four theme parks, two water parks, several golf courses, a camping resort and other entertainment venues. Today Walt Disney World employs more than 74,000 cast members with more than 3,700 job classifications. The resort sponsors and operates the Walt Disney World international college program, so now it gets interesting for students who always wanted to work in a theme park and wants to study abroad! The internship program offers students from all over the world (18 years and older) the opportunity to work at the resort and live in a Disney owned apartment complex with other students. Participants of the international program can apply for the role they prefer but most of the time they are assigned to roles based on seasonal need and may be rotated later on. Several roles for which students can apply are: attractions, characters, food and beverage, housekeeping and lifeguarding. As a Disney world student, you are housed in one of the gated-community apartment complexes which provide furnished apartments. There’s also free public transportation available to the work locations and on top of that, don’t forget to visit the many shopping complexes or other recreational services. Rent must be paid for housing but it’s already auto-deducted from each payroll the students earn. This is a direct result of the program’s philosophy of Living, Learning and Earning. That means that during the program each student will be provided with a housing that will feel like home. There are many different courses currently offered by Disney world the students can follow. Each of the collegiate courses is focused on an area of expertise within The Walt Disney Company and contains levels of academic rigor, common to the classes you take at your own college or university. And at last, the internship program is a paid internship, where students are paid on an hourly basis. As a member of the College Program, students are guaranteed a minimum of 30 hours per week. Pay rates are determined by job function. It is very helpful to have the college program on your resume in attaining a future job. For a lot of people in the business, the college program is where they first started their career. You will have the opportunity to develop important skills, including guest service, service recovery, problem-solving, effective communication, leadership, teamwork, attention to detail, time management, self-confidence, personal empowerment, responsibility and cultural sensitivity. These are valuable skills for future efforts. The International Disney College Program is attractive to students interested in this unique experience. An internship with Disney can lead to a career within their company.
Tasting different cultures The great thing about going to a new country is tasting loads of new food! But, how do you do that with respect and what are all the manners? In Korea it’s not acceptable (at least it’s rude..) to eat before the elders at the table have started. You have to wait until they start eating. Also, it’s nice to hold things with both hands. For example, when you are pouring water into a cup or glass. It’s always good to read what ‘normal’ manners are for the country that you’re visiting or choosing to have as your internship / minor course. Just like the racism, you never know what you might step into. When you are a little bit prepared and you show that you try to do the right thing, nobody can say that you didn’t do your best. Of course, you should never say no to some feedback. For some cultures it’s very difficult to say whenever you’re doing something wrong, so respect it when people tell you how to do something. Such simple things, but easy to forget in all your excitement. That’s why it’s very good to always ask what the expectations are from your friends or the company you’re dining with. For example, if they expect you to pay! Or that everything is shared, the food and drinks perhaps.
Cultures are also changing with new generations, Younger people like to dine out or have a takeaway, instead of the traditional way and cooking everything by themselfs. One-households are getting bigger in numbers, more and more people start living on there own. To cook a meal for multipal days can be a bit of a problem, especially if there is still a fulltime job in the picture. So dining out and take away are getting bigger roles in the food industry! It might be handy to check what kind of food delivery system there is. And also what your budget should be, because sometimes its cheaper to eat not-so-good-for-you meals instead of the super vegan and healthy meals. Like America, the price of a burger with fries and mayonaisse is almost cheaper then four tomatoes and a few apples. So as every article says, it’s so recommended to do some research before going to a different country. All the ‘tasting’ of different cultures can be overwhelming and to be a little prepared can help take the edge of some (maybe) important stuff.
Colophon Authors:
D.F.J Mennen Good development, About us M.P.T. Bakx Sneak peak into South Africe, Interview with Bram van der Meijden, About us T.P.L.C. van Haaren Study at the world’s most magical place, About us T.C. van Welie Column, About us L. Vermeer Why are you lying?, Interview with Marie Huth, About us E.M. van Veenendaal Tasting different cultures, checking all the spelling from the articles, Introduction, About us J.Y. Gariba Studying abroad & Racism, design of the front page, About us E. Versteegh Leadership & Creative climate, About us L.J.M. Busio Heating the hotspots, We are, About us S.C. Nagtzaam Heating the hotspots, We are, About us Chief editor: E.M. van Veenendaal Lay-out editor: E.M. van Veenendaal, S.C. Nagtzaam