Category Archives: South Africa

HMoob (Hmong) around the World Part 1: A Whole New Perspective

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HMoob (Hmong) around the World Part 1: A Whole New Perspective

By: Kameiko Vue (Class of 2020) and Tonny Yang (Class of 2017 & 2019)

Kameiko Vue in Vientiane, Laos (left) & Tonny Yang in Penang, Malaysia (right)

Kameiko’s Story

I took part in the South East Asia (SEA) study abroad program in the winter of 2017-2018. This study abroad trip included going to Laos, Thailand and Malaysia. I wanted to be a part of this trip because I wanted to explore the world and enrich myself in the culture, people and food. Because of this trip, I experienced riding on an airplane and traveling out of the country for the first time ever. Not to mention, I built ever lasting friendships with individuals that I will cherish forever.   

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My Favorite South African Proverbs

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By: Karen Ortiz

Cultures all around the world have sets of proverbs they use which help shape their worldviews. So what is a proverb? A proverb is a short sentence that can be used to express some sort of valuable truth or life lesson.

During my time in South Africa I managed to hear a couple proverbs from some of my professors. I never fully grasped the meaning of these proverbs until I did more research. Lucky for me, through my research I found many more that resonated with me. I now try to put these into practice as much as I can. Here they are:

You cannot beat a drum with one finger
You cannot drink medicine on behalf of a sick person
When a bird builds its nest it uses the feathers of other birds

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A Tea Lover’s Top 3 Teas from around the World

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A Tea Lover’s Top 3 Teas from around the World

By Rachael Gardner

The problem with coffee? It’s just not tea!

I know a lot of people are super into coffee. Coffee smells great, don’t get me wrong, but the taste and caffeine levels have never jived with me. My hot beverage consumption was pretty much limited to hot chocolate and apple cider until the fall of 2012. This thankfully changed through travel and exploration. As a part of my study abroad experience in Denmark, I traveled to the UK with two of my friends. It was on this trip that my love of tea was born. Not just the beverage itself, but the different cultural norms and values that come with tea.

A photo of me at my happiest – with a big cup of tea.

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