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One drink that is a staple in Argentinian culture is mate, an herbal beverage prepared from dried Yerba mate leaves. Mate is traditionally prepared in a mate mug made from calabash gourd and silver and consumed through a silver straw, but nowadays it is more commonly prepared in different receptacles. The drink is characteristic of Argentinians, Uruguayans, Brazilians, and Chileans because of the uniqueness of the Mate plant. Only growing in the regions surrounding Iguazu, a territory between Argentina and Brazil, the mate plant is cherished among many South American cultures. Gauchos, the people who live in the Argentine countryside, are particularly known for their consumption of mate. 

I was able to enjoy mate in a cafe within walking distance of my homestay. Intrigued by the prevalence and mystery of this drink, I asked the waitress to explain the history of mate and the specific mate rituals that many Argentinians partake in everyday with friends and family. Flor, the waitress I spoke to, explained to me that drinking mate in Argentina is an extremely social activity that involves everyone. It is prepared in one mug and consumed through one straw by all people involved. After the mate is prepared, it is important that the straw remains in place so as to not stir the herbs and ruin the beverage’s texture. Mate is served hot and contains significant amounts of caffeine.

Flor explained that, while in Argentina drinking mate is mostly a social activity, in other countries, drinking mate can take different forms. For example, she says that some Uruguayans drive their cars with a hot water flask tucked into their arm and a mate mug underneath so that they can prepare mate while driving. For many South Americans, mate is an integral part of their daily routines. 

My experience with mate was a really good one. The taste of mate was very strong and unique, so I cannot compare it to anything I have tasted before. However, I can say that I really enjoyed drinking it throughout my trip and the conversations I had while passing around the mate mug!

Argentinian Spanish is very distinct from other dialects. Because of the high number of Italian immigrants in Argentina, the language spoken in Argentina is heavily influenced by the Italian language. For this reason Argentines have a wide variety of slang words known as “lunfardo” that are characteristic of the country. Spoken by both the younger and older members of the community, “lunfardo” slang changes frequently with words becoming outdated and newer phrases being added. Throughout my time in Buenos Aires so far, I have had to add these words and phrases to my conversations to communicate more casually, lightheartedly, and effectively with Argentines.

One term that I found was used frequently in informal situations was “boludo,” which has an offensive Castellano definition. However, in Argentina, “boludo” most commonly means “buddy” or “mate,” but can still be used as an insult. While playing soccer with Argentines, I noticed that the word was used very frequently during and after games. Picking up on this trend, I started using the word during and after playing. Another phrase I started using was “tener alta lija,” meaning “to be extremely hungry.” I noticed that, whenever I used this phrase to express that I was hungry, Argentines were surprised and amused. The phrase is exclusively used in extremely informal scenarios by Argentine youth. On top of these two Argentine expressions, the people of Argentina use a completely unique verb conjugation form instead of the typical “tu, informal” form. They use a form called the “voseo” which changes the way verbs are conjugated. As soon as I arrived, I noticed the slight differences in the way verbs were conjugated in this form. This kind of verb conjugation was used by every native Argentinian. 

During my time in Buenos Aires, I feel that it is important to include these elements of their language in the way I communicate with them more effectively. 

One week ago I returned to my home in Pennsylvania after an amazing 6 weeks studying Russian in Georgia. It is striking how effective immersion is for language learners. I enjoyed pushing my limits with Russian as I communicated with my host parents, and it was very helpful to talk to my host sister who could correct my grammatical errors in English when necessary. At the same time, I understand the place classroom study has. The biggest challenge I faced was my vocabulary, which is appropriate for having studied for only two semesters but limited my abilities to speak in some situations. I am excited to start my Russian language classes at Notre Dame and hope to find a conversation partner to practice with outside of class.

I encountered many cultural differences in Georgia, some expected and some unexpected. I had read about Georgia’s relationship with Russia and was aware that Russia invaded their country in 2008, so the vigorous support for Ukraine and the west was expected. However, I did not realize how helpful it would be to learn several simple words in Georgian, such as hello and thank you, to win the respect of some locals who may look down on Russian speakers. I also expected to meet refugees from Ukraine and Russia who have fled the war. I ended up meeting a young group of Russians who had been living in Batumi since early March. I also had a conversation with a Ukrainian man who had been living in Batumi for several years. Speaking with them was so rewarding! Finally, I was surprised that Georgians never go out with wet hair, families often stay up past midnight, and nobody hesitates to voice their opinion. 

My time in Georgia provided me with a great educational and cultural experience. It also changed how I see American life. I spent 6 weeks living in a very small apartment with 7 other people. When I came home and drove through my neighborhood, I was shocked at how large the houses are in comparison. I never felt cramped in the apartment so such a large living space seems extremely wasteful and unnecessary now. I also realized that this allows Americans to live more isolated lives. The small apartment provided enough personal space for me, but I was never more than a room away from someone in my host family. I believe this strengthened our family unity. If you are studying a language, I highly recommend applying for a summer language abroad grant. I made significant leaps in my language abilities while also experiencing a new culture that really changed how I see the world. The experiences you have abroad are impossible to have in the United States.

Now at the completion of my final week in An Cheathrú Rua and in Ireland overall, I am very excited with the progress that I have made in my comprehension and conversational ability in Irish. Though I am still certainly far from being totally fluent, I feel much more confident speaking the words and phrases that I have and also sometimes going out on a limb if I don’t have the exact phrase to express what I would like to. It has been fantastic to put my multiple semesters’ worth of classroom preparation to use while getting a better idea of the casual day-to-day use of Irish among individuals spanning several generations. There have been countless moments throughout the course when a word or phrase that I have read or written multiple times is finally used in an in-person conversation, the radio, or the Irish language TV channel, TG4 and I could practically hear the puzzle pieces clicking together in my head. Just kidding, but it has been extremely gratifying to see real development each day!

As with any language, written phrases tend to be much more formal and complete than those that are spoken, and Irish certainly follows this pattern in numerous ways. Since arriving in An Cheathrú Rua, the most striking thing that I have noticed is the way that phrases are shortened when spoken. I am used to answering in complete sentences more often than not, mostly because it provides more practice in the classroom setting, but it became very typical for me to hear someone answer, “go maith (good/well),” when asked how they were doing rather than in the complete sentence “Tá mé go maith. (I am good/well.)” In conversation, it is also super typical for four or five Irish words to sound as if only one or two words were spoken, or for only one syllable to be pronounced of a word that when written, appears to have two syllables. From what I understand, each dialect has their own way of shortening various phrases to allow speech to flow better, but Connacht Irish requires a fairly sensitive and sometimes creative ear to decipher the spoken word, understand what is being said, and write it correctly if necessary. At the beginning of this week, we completed a listening comprehension exam as a class and were required to answer particular questions in writing while listening to a recorded conversation. The speakers used one particular phrase, “Níl a fhios agam (I do not know),” several times and it sounded as though they were saying “Níl is am.” There is a lot going on when this phrase is spoken to sound like it does including specific pronunciation, but two syllables are actually omitted in speech from what is written. Luckily, this phrase is used quite often in daily conversation and most of us were able to tune our ear to its sound quickly, while using it and other useful phrases in the shortened version ourselves.

I am back in South Bend and I am truly glad to be here. First, because it’s my home, and second because my whole trip was great, and I’m coming back changed, refreshed and better as a person. Of all the things I love about traveling solo, the total independence in making decisions is my favorite and I think you learn a lot about yourself when you act on your desires and needs. Italy has given me so many things, it’s hard to name them all, but I think in the end I will remember the most simple things. Gestures of tenderness or words of love, secrets of a delicious recipe in a minute, fragments of ancient history hidden in a facade, and stories of life, of lives that are nothing like mine.

My last day in Italy was spent on a train. I had traveled to the south of the country and needed to make it to Rome to catch my flight home. The trip would be long, but I would have time to make one last passeggiata through the city at sunset, eat my last carbonara and buy some souvenirs. However, things did not go as I had hoped. The first train I was supposed to take was canceled and I had to take a bus to Naples, and from there take a new train to Rome. This change made me about three hours late, but I would still have time for that delicious dinner and maybe some quick shopping. But things didn’t work out that way. My train left from Naples but no sooner had it made one station than it stopped because a distant fire would not let it move forward. We had to get off the train and wait for hours for a solution.  

During those hours I talked to everyone. I met people from all over Italy who spoke different variations of the language and I had to sharpen my ear to understand what they were saying. It was one of the most linguistically challenging experiences of my entire stay in Italy. In every case, I would politely ask to speak slower or paraphrase a sentence. People were anxious and worried, so they talked and talked. I started to take part in the chiacchierata  as well, and just like that time went by until a new train came to our rescue.

Finally, I didn’t get to eat that last carbonara and I arrived so late that all the restaurants were closed. I had to settle for ordering Chinese food which was delicious and then went out for a gelato at Fassi, a traditional Roman ice cream shop. I felt exhausted but tremendously grateful for every event of the day. In the end, things happen as they are meant to happen, and taking them as they come, leaving all our expectations aside, is the best lesson a trip can teach us.

Would I recommend studying a language abroad? Absolutely yes. Especially if you are determined to make the most out of your experience. Every day was different and somehow challenging, even if I was having a lot of fun I was out of my comfort zone. I am beyond grateful for everything that this opportunity that The Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures gave me, and all the assistance and help I received from the Staff. I will never get tired of saying how valuable this Summer Language Abroad opportunity was to me. Good Bye, Italy. We will meet again soon.

My Russian speaking skills improved immensely and it was rather fun exploring and connecting to a new place through a new language. I was fortunate to have a host cousin who was very similar to me. We were both interested in medicine and shared many hobbies. So the hours practicing Russian with her flew by. Even when I came across cultural differences, I came to accept everything as it was. Korean and American culture are vastly different. As I have lived with my grandparents in South Korea, I felt at ease in immersing in a new culture. I truly enjoyed living as part of a Kyrgyz family and learning about the customs and culture of locals.

My experience in Kyrgyzstan has truly broadened my horizons. I hope to continue fostering connections in Central Asia and return in the near future. I believe that approaching study abroad with an open mind can open more opportunities to truly connect and appreciate your home for the summer.

After 5 hours on a dirt road, we pulled into a small village that lined the waters of Issyk Kul, an alpine lake, as the sun was setting. The whole village was quiet and calm as we went down to the lake to swim.

The next morning for breakfast we had плов, манти, fresh apricots from trees right beside the dining hall, cherries, potatoes, chicken and more. There was of course tea and compote. Compote is a popular Kyrgyz drink made of fruits and spices. It is sweet and full of flavor and can be enjoyed hot or cold. Плов pronounced “Plov” and Манти pronounced “Manti” are the two most popular Kyrgyz dishes. It is almost always served when guests are invited to a Kyrgyz home. Плов is similar to fried rice. It is rich and greasy and consists of rice, carrots, and lamb meat. Манти is a dumpling filled with meat and potatoes. It is almost always jam packed with meat. Meat is often the main component of Kyrgyz dishes which speaks to their nomadic roots.

Кыликовскии is a popular Russian dessert chain. They have ice cream cakes, tiramisu, cheesecakes and more. The deserts in Kyrgyzstan tend to be less sweet but full of natural flavors.

Yurt building holds historical and cultural significance to the Kyrgyz people. My class visited the national museum after school then during a trip to Issyk Kul, we got to build one with local experts.

The lives of families that live in the countryside differ quite drastically from those who live in the city. Most of the families we came across were pastoral families who were living in a Yurt for the summer. They stated that once it became too cold, they would pack up all their belongings and herd their sheep down the mountain. Even though we were 11,000 feet up, the children we passed were full of energy. I realized as we ate lunch in the mountains how far we were from the nearest town. The families that lived up in the mountains were miles away from the next neighbor and the only way to traverse the mountain was by horse.

Camping up in the Tien Shan mountain ranges was unlike anything I have ever done before. It became frigid at night and I realized then why we were told to bring snow pants. During the horse trek, we learned to trust our horses as they continued tirelessly for hours at a time. They also walked narrow trails along cliffs and across roaring rivers. When we stopped for the second night, we met a family who invited us over to try Kyrgyzstan’s national drink: кымыз. кымыз is mare’s milk. It was sour and salty leaving a strong aftertaste. It was interesting how naturally the taste preferences of the Kyrgyz people leaned towards salty and sour things. Most drinks and even snacks reflected this and I never came to like кымыз, but I am glad I tried it. кымыз I later found, is more strongly preferred by people living in the countryside.

In Kyrgyzstan, I drank tea with almost every meal. Wherever we went, tea and snacks were a popular way of fostering connection.

Yurt building holds historical and cultural significance to the Kyrgyz people. My class visited the national museum after school then during a trip to Issyk Kul, an alpine lake located on the Tien Shan mountain ranges, we got to build one with local experts.

At the museum, we learned that it was an important custom to decorate yurts with lush velvet and felt rugs. It was amazing how huge the Yurt felt when inside. The rich colors and patterns of all the rugs seemed to stand out even more. Yurts allowed the historically nomadic tribes of Kyrgyzstan to relocate with their herds of sheep all over the mountain. Horses have also played an important role in the history of Kyrgyzstan. They have always been the best friends and lifelines to Kyrgyz people.

There were also many models of sacred buildings and monuments to soldiers who passed defending their homeland. At the museum, we learned about their tumultuous political history, but also about their rich heritage, foods, and history.

The guide shared to that the museum could not be opened for many years because the government had wanted to pay less for the forest display.

After seeing the Yurt at the museum, we build a small yurt with local experts. They noted that it usually takes locals only 30 minutes to build a large yurt more than 5 times the size of the one we built. A whole family may live in one yurt together during the summer. Even today, pastoral families living in the countryside may live in a yurt during the summer then move to a winter site with their herds of sheep. Speaking with locals in Russian was challenging, especially because of the different accents I heard in the countryside. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed learning from and hearing the stories of expert yurt builders and musicians.

On our first day in Bishkek, two local Kyrgyz students took us on a tour of Bishkek. We started with historic buildings, monuments, and the biggest park in Bishkek. The two guides talked about life in Kyrgyzstan along the way. When Алтима mentioned that a house in her neighborhood was robbed during the past week by a fake cleaning service, the other guide gasped and asked “Прикинь?” She went on to explain that “Прикинь” was an informal slang term used by younger students only among friends. It meant “Can you imagine?”. Pronounced (prikínʹ). Because of how fun it is to say, I found myself using this term quite often by the end of my stay.

Жиза is related to the word жизнь, which means life. Жиза has a very specific meaning and I noticed that it was usually only used within friends of young adults. It is used to signify that you relate to someone else’s situation or experience. However, it cannot be used to say that you have the same object, plans, ideas as someone. It can only be used to signify that a very similar situation also happened to you. So when a friend says that his favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate, you must say я думаю так же or I think the same! But if a friend says that her parents brought home a painting from the outdoor art gallery, you can respond Жиза!

During our tour, we visited an old statue of Lenin that was relocated but not torn down. The guides explained that because Lenin was referred to as Papa Lenin in media and propaganda during the Soviet era, locals are continue to have some subconscious fondness for the statue.

The Ala Too Square looks modern and welcoming. Although Bishkek is a city of one million people, the square reminds me of a park I can find in my own hometown. There are families with children all around playing in the fountains and enjoying the lovely greenery.