During our first week in Paris, our director Karl surprised our group with tickets to the Broadway musical, Le Roi Lion (The Lion King) on Broadway at Theatre Mogador. This musical was a great way to been our immersion into the French language, because although we weren’t able to understand every word; we were familiar with the plot. It was filled with constant entertainment & the costuming alone was magnificent. Le Roi Lion is recently new to Paris, debuting last fall. After the musical a couple of people from the group including myself wandered into the famous store, Galleries Lafayette right next to the Theater. It was established in 1895 and is one of the world’s biggest department stores offering anything & everything you can imagine. There are 7 floors including a restaurant and terrace located at the top. This store truly amazes me.
Throughout the trip we also had various museum visits including the Musee d’Orsay and the Louvre. The Musee d’Orsay was formerly a train station. This is my favorite museum in Paris because of its huge collection of impressionism. My favorite artist is Renoir, and it holds many of his works. This museum is so easy to walk through because it is planned out so logically. Towards the top of the museum you can walk out on the terrace and see the beautiful view of the city.
Our trip to the Louvre was also magical. We were fortunate to see the huge ferris wheel that is built during every summer right next to the Louvre before we even entered the museum. The glass pyramid makes for a popular landmark and entrance into the museum. To some, the Louvre can also seem overwhelming because of the amount of art it holds. My advice is to map out everything you would like to see before you start exploring. My favorite piece in the Louvre is the Winged Victory of Samothrace statue. It is so beautiful and the detail on the wings is impeccable. A trip to the Louvre would not have been complete without a visit to the Mona Lisa. Seeing this painting for the first time in person is surreal. Although she is protected in about 10 inches of glass, I still managed to take a decent photo.
On the second weekend of our trip, we took a trip to the Loire Valley region. Our first stop was at the Cathedral of Chartres which was built in the 12th century. Every cathedral holds a relict, and this church holds the Virgin Mary’s shroud known as the Sancta Camisia. Since the cathedral holds this shroud, the cathedral has become a place where people go to pray for fertility. This church also displays one of the largest collections of stained glass windows. The windows in this cathedral are known for their rich blue color. Our next stop in the Loire Valley was at the Château de Chambord. This castle was originally built as a hunting lodge for King Francois although he never lived in it for more than two months. King Francois symbol was a salamander and you can see it depicted numerously throughout the castle on the walls, floors and ceilings. The castle also features the double-helix staircase that Leonardo da Vinci designed. Our last stop on the tour was the winery. We took a tour through the caverns learned how they make and bottle méthode traditionnelle; which is a sparkling wine. I really enjoyed the beautiful countryside of France.
I would recommend this program to anyone interested in studying abroad. The experience of traveling to another country and studying the culture and society first hand is the best way of learning. This specific program provides wonderful attention to detail, extracurricular activities and prime housing. Our leader Karl was always organized, informative and available if needed. Paris specifically is such a fun city to study abroad in because it contains so many different aspects to explore such as the museums, musical theatres, fashion, and monuments. This was an experience I will never forget!
- Ashley
The Summer in Belize: Archaeology program is truly a hands on and intercultural experience and our student, Jacob Kovalchick from Penn State University is taking advantage of this unique opportunity. During the first week of the program, he has worked along side the famous Belizean archeologist Dr. Jaime Awe, Director of the National Institute of Archeology in Belize.
Here are some photos of Jacob and his classmates at work on an archaeological dig.
Keep up the good work Jake!
Rhondine
I am proud to report that all thirteen of our Animal Science students participated in a community spay and neuter clinic on Saturday, July 12. Dr. Edwardo Tesecum, the course director for the ASCI-105- Large Animal Science and Disease of Belize course, organized the clinic in the small village of Bullet Tree in Western Belize.
Kudos to our students who participated in this needed community service!
To end the evening our students participated in a soccer match with a local team from Bullet Tree. Our students won the match by 1 goal to 0. Congratulations!
Keep up the good work!
Rhondine
A very exclusive resort in Western Belize hosted a welcome party for our students shortly after arriving to Belize. We were met and warmly greeted by Ms. Eva Garfield, Manager of Ka’ana Boutique and Spa resort on Thursday, July 10. We indulged ourselves in superb food and drank exotic fruity drinks made by their wonderful bar staff.
Eva ended our evening with a tour of the resort and to ensure we have lasting memories of Ka’ana she took us out in the semi dark night where lit helium balloons awaited our arrival. As we gathered around, her staff held the balloons as we all made our wishes and the balloons were released. We stood there and looked in aw as the balloons keep going up into the sky until they merged with the stars.
Eva and the staff of Ka’ana; we thank you for an unforgettable evening.
Rhondine
On the behalf of Global Learning Semesters and Galen University I extend a warm welcome to our July study abroad student group!
I am delighted to announce the safe arrival of our July summer students to Belize. Thirteen of our fourteen GLS students arrived on Friday, July 4 and one on July 5. I must say that this group was lucky to experience sunny weather upon arrival and throughout the orientation weekend.
I look forward to sharing more of our students’ activities as our summer Belize programs progress through the next four weeks. I’ll keep you posted!
Warm regards,
Rhondine
On Saturday June 14, GLS Summer 2008 in Cyprus students went for three days to the beautiful city of Paphos in Cyprus. On our way to Paphos we had the opportunity to visit the spectacular Kolossi Castle and Kourion Amphitheater in Limassol. In Paphos the group visited the Petra tou Romiou, “The rock of the Greek”, which is according to legend is the birthplace of Aphrodite, where we took some wonderful pictures as the beautiful scenery demands. We then continued on to the Paphos Medieval Fort where we visited the famous mosaics and the house of Dionysos.
That’s me at Kourion Amphitheater
During our stay in Paphos we got to enjoy the gorgeous beaches and also work on our tan ☺ Some of us even got together and went out for Karaoke night!
On our way back to Nicosia on Monday, the group had a lunch stop at the traditional village of Lefkara. Lefkara is famous for its local lace called “Lefkaritika” and for its stunning church of the Holy Cross.
- Marianna
Leaving the plane, I waited in anticipation to finally be in Paris and meet everyone in my program. I went through customs and found our Program Coordinator Karl Davis waiting in an airport café with a group of students who had already arrived. In total, I met a group of 14 students who were also there for the first summer session.
The first day we were primarily given the information for our apartment and time to unpack and settle in. I live with three other girls in an apartment in the 6th arrondissement known as St-Germain-des-Prés. It’s a beautiful apartment in a prime location. The weather this time in Paris is beautiful! The sun is shining with a few clouds and a nice breeze. After unwinding, a group of us decided to go to out to dinner. We chose to kick off our Paris trip at the world famous café Les Deux Magots. The café is famous for literary authors such as Sartre de Beauvoir and Hemingway who wrote there.
Saturday was a busy day. First, we all met in the Raspail area for our French placement exam. The exam is a nonjudgmental exam which means they place you in a level that is best for you. You can place in Debutante, Elementaire, Intermediante and Superior. After the exam, we made our way to La Sorbonne to register with the school. The school was founded in 1257 as a part of the University of Paris. La Sorbonne is such a beautiful university. The architecture helps give it such a prestigious ambience. We learned that the Sorbonne houses part of the René Descartes University. After registering, Karl took us all out for a surprise. We had a fabulous 3-course dinner at a nice restaurant in the Cardinal Lemoine. I really enjoyed the dinner because the food was delicious and it gave us a chance to get to know each other a little better.
On Sunday we began our day with a walking tour of the city. Starting from the beautiful fountain St.Michel, we began walking to the Notre Dame. From inside the cathedral you can see the beautiful stained glass windows and magnificent architecture. I also liked the gargoyles that are found perched off the sides. They not only have an artistic purpose, but are also used as rain gutters. Around the Notre Dame there are also many entertainers such as magicians, dancers, mimes and musicians. We continued our journey by walking along the Seine River that runs right through Paris. We eventually made our way to Hôtel de Ville which is the equivalent to an American city hall. Originally, it was a maison aux piliers (”House of Pillars”) but later turned into a city hall. Almost every building, whether an important monument or not, has an intricate element or design detail. Next we visited the George Pompidou museum. This is the National Museum of Modern Art. When it was first built in 1977, it was very controversial due to the modern design. The building stands out among most in Paris because it is very colorful and all the structural components such as the water pipes, stair cases, are on the exterior.
The food in France is absolutely phenomenal. There are cafes around every corner. For dinner, my roommates and I went to a café in the St.Germain area. Many cafes have an underground floor known as le bas. The ambience was intimate and the style resembled that of an old cavern.
- Ashley
I am delighted to announce the safe arrival of our summer students to Belize. Most students arrived Friday, May 30 with a few arriving on May 31 and June 1. Although, upon arrival it was raining and it continued to rain throughout orientation weekend; today we are basking in the sunlight.
Our students experienced their first day of intensive classes yesterday and also attended on campus the debut of a documentary film “three kings of Belize”. This film highlights three of Belize’s musical kings, their achievements and struggles as Belizean musicians.
Warm regards,
Rhondine
As part of orientation, we also went on a bike excursion throughout the city. Our tour guide, Cecile, was very animated and fun. We stopped at many places including Place des Vosges which is the oldest square in Paris. Built by Henry IV, this was also the first royal court and where Victor Hugo once lived. From there we went to the Marais area which is considered the first Jewish neighborhood of Paris. We also rode around the Musée du Louvre. From the courtyard you can see the incredible size of the museum and the glass pyramids featured in the film, The Da Vinci Code. We passed over the Seine and ended our tour with delicious ice cream on the Île Saint-Louis, an island in the city.
I would definitely recommend a bike tour to anyone visiting Paris because it is a great way to learn - both informatively and directionally - more about the city.
- Ashley
The GLS graduation ceremony for the Class of Spring 2008 students based in Cyprus took place on May 13 at UNESCO Amphitheater at the University of Nicosia. Everyone was looking forward to it after a great semester, filled with amazing memories.
The ceremony began with a speech by Dr. Andreas Polemitis. Two small presentations followed by the Lefkosia.com student interns and the Cultural Heritage Interns where the students explained the work they did during the semester.
The Ceremony continued with announcing the Photography competition winners. The prize for the winners was adinner for four people at a famous traditional Cypriot restaurant. There was a grand prize winner, 2 runner ups and many honorable mentions. It looks like there is artistic talent in the group!
Next, GLS staff awarded students with their Graduation Certificates for the successful completion of the program. The ceremony ended with a multimedia presentation prepared by the Class Historians after gathering photos and videos from every student in the group. Everybody was very touched by the presentation and tears were inevitable as a wonderful semester was about to end.
After the ceremony, GLS staff and students proceeded to Prosilion Restaurant for the graduation dinner. We all had a great time and already miss you guys! ☺
- Marianna
