Feedback from Exchange Students

 

The one picture is at the Berlin Wall, one of the most famous paintings, and the castle is Berg Vischering in the town of Lüdinghausen beside Dortmund, middle Germany. 

 

One half of the reasons to go on exchange is fairly obvious: To take the opportunity to see many wonderful things you may otherwise never be able to, to be able to better understand another culture’s way of doing things and sometimes completely different way of thinking about things.  The other half is that this is maybe the best way to be able to really understand and appreciate the way things are done in Canada.  It’s impossible to objectively think about how you act normally, until you take yourself completely out of that ‘normal’ context.  I’ve learned never, ever, ever to take ‘just peanuts’ peanut butter for granted; it’s incredibly hard to find in Germany!  More importantly, I’ve realized that at the base level, people from all over the world are just about the same.

 

Student:  Tristan Ellis

Host Institution:  Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, Germany (FW08)

 

 

The University of Limerick has enabled me to gain an appreciation for the different culture that Ireland has to offer. Although the country’s tongue is English, the Gaelic language that is their mother tongue is one, which is captivating. From old castle ruins outside my dorm window to paths throughout the campus that bring you through the majestic country side, Limerick, Ireland is a place, which has delivered growth for myself and an ever growing love for the country.

 

Limerick University is a place, which allows for adventures to be sought after day in and day out like the picture above taken at the Cliffs of Moher. Limerick University provides their students with an outstanding education and easy accessibility to explore the beauty within Ireland and Europe.

 

Kensey Butkevich

Exchange location/duration: Limerick Ireland, Fall semester 2008

 

 

This is Osaka Castle, one of the many famous attractions in the Osaka area. I have been fortunate to see Osaka Castle both at night and during the daytime. It is breath-taking no matter the time you see it at. I was able to go in the Castle and learn about its history and about the people who lived in it. They had armour displayed and explanations of wars and events that happened at Osaka-jo. It was amazing!

 

 

This is Kiyomizudera Shrine. It is located in Kyoto and it is absolutely gorgeous.  You first walk down a traditional Japanese style street and enter through a torii. You are then surrounded by shrines and a forest. In one of the shrines, you are able to walk through the womb of a god. Of course not literally, but you enter a very dark room and walk for a couple of minutes surrounded by darkness and only able to hear yourself breathing. Suddenly, you see a rock with Japanese writing on it and you are to make a wish. This wish will be granted, as I have been told, and then you leave the room as if you are being re-born. After this, you can walk through the forest and see a temple that was built in the 1500’s. It is so amazing! Kyoto has over 1,000 shrines and temples and I have only seen a small fraction of that!

 

Brandie Simcox

Host institution: Kansai Gaidai University, Japan (FW08)