Europe – Page 198

Staying Connected Abroad

Published on May 21, 2014 by DU Abroad1 Comment

Taking a smart phone overseas and using local Wi-Fi on campus or in coffee shops can often be the most effective way of keeping in touch with friends and family back home. Make sure to keep your phone on airplane mode to avoid any additional charges from overseas use.

Here are some apps to help ease communication:

Skype enables you to video call or instant message from computer to computer or from your smart phone for free. You can also use Skype to make reduced rate phone calls to a phone back in the U.S.
Viber allows you to call mobile to mobile for free, as long as each phone has internet access, either through Wi-Fi or 3G. You can also send free international text messages. The app integrates your address book, showing you which of your contacts already has Viber.
WhatsApp – An instant messaging app that is free for the first year of use and 99 cents per year after. It allows you to text message people anywhere in the world for free, and allows you to share photos rapidly. WhatsApp uses the phone numbers in your address book to show friends and family with WhatsApp automatically. It also has a neat group chat feature too.
iMessage – the default texting on iPhones works through Wi-Fi just like other apps. Text your contacts in the same way as you do back in the U.S. As with iMessage, Facetime will also enable you to video chat internationally as long as you have Wi-Fi access. However, be forewarned that iPhones are not as popular overseas as they are here in the U.S. Make sure you download a separate app!
Touchnote – Allows you to create postcards on your phone, combining a photo and text, before printing it and sending it to any address in the world for $1.99 per postcard.

Finally, if you’re in a Wi-Fi spot and looking for other places for using Wi-Fi, the app Free Wi-Fi Finder works around the world to keep you connected for free. It maps free Wi-Fi access close to you.

-Callum Forster, Peer Advisor

6 Things I Learned to Love in Spain

Published on May 2, 2014October 29, 2014 by DU Abroad1 Comment

President Obama with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy

Two Kisses: a Spanish greeting includes two kisses beginning on the left side then the right. However, these are not real kisses. You either lightly touch each other’s cheeks together or kiss the air (no lips touching cheeks action).
Small Bubbles: space in general is limited in Europe so it makes sense personal space is not as big as it is in the U.S. This was awfully awkward at first but then I found it very efficient; there is a lot less yelling.
Walking: in Spain walking somewhere mean actually going walking speed, not that shuffle awkward thing that Americans do because they are in a hurry. I learned to take the time to greet people, enjoy the weather and take a few minutes to myself.
Late, Always Late: the concept of time is very different around the world. I had to get used to the fact that my professor or friends may be late and they wouldn’t even apologize for it. This was probably because they were walking slowly (see number 4) or because time is respected differently in Spain.
Manzanilla Tea: chamomile tea is just as common as coffee in Salamanca. This was wonderful for me because people in the U.S. look at me funny when I say I hate coffee. In Spain, I was able to participate in the cultural norms without having to drink any coffee.
No Tipping: camareros are paid better than they are in the U.S. so nobody needs to tip. You are welcome to give a small tip if you are super impressed, and small only means a couple euros.

Going to another country and learning the nitty-gritty details about the culture can be exciting and fun but it can also be very difficult right around the time homesickness hits. The important thing to remember is that these things don’t have to be better or worse than home, they can just be different. As soon as we stop comparing our experiences abroad to home we can enjoy them a lot more. Although all of these things seemed odd at first, now they are what I miss most about Spain.

Adrianna Romero, Peer Advisor