Learning in Galway

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Hello, I hope that you are doing well! I am doing well in Galway. I have lived in Ireland for almost two months and have adjusted to my new life abroad. I have had the privilege of traveling around Ireland, visiting several cities and magnificent sites. I have made new friends, gotten involved in a church and Christian society on campus, and also have been reading and writing voraciously. However, studying abroad isn’t simply travel, social activities, and leisure– there is an academic aspect to it. In this blog, I’ll discuss my educational experience by describing each class I’m taking and comparing my experience here with that of MLC.

Iconography: the Classical Tradition in Western Art

I start with my Iconography lectures each Monday and Wednesday morning (at 10 am). My lecturer is a soft-spoken Irish man whose voice is as soft as sheep’s wool. He is a firm believer in art appreciation and being able to see art clearly, so his lectures are conducted in classrooms with zero light or windows to see the projected images on the screen. As you can imagine, the combination of these factors make my Iconography lectures a battle to stay awake. Nevertheless, most of the classwork is based on independent research for an overall project. I am about halfway done with my project, an exploration of statues of David from the Italian Renaissance and how they reflect the mores of Florentine society during that period. The project culminates with a 3,000-word paper and a 20-25-minute presentation that I will give. Within my paper and presentation, I analyze the artwork and historical era and then make assertions based on my observations. I sound unbelievably pretentious when talking about art, making me feel more intelligent than I am!

Genre Studies: Satire and Sentiment in 18th-Century Literature

In my opinion, Genre Studies is an exciting course. We read poems, plays, and prose from the long 18th century. I attend two weekly lectures, one on Monday at 5 pm and the other on Thursday at noon. My lecturer is a vigorous 30-something Canadian woman. She has very entertaining lectures and breaks down complex concepts and ideas in an elegantly simple manner. My favorite poem that we have read is Johnathan Swift’s “Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift” (1731). The poem is about Johnathan Swift reflecting on his life and how he imagines certain people will react to his death. It has a very similar nature to that of the book of Ecclesiastes. I highly recommend it.

Studies in Medieval Literature

Studies in Medieval Literature is a two-part course that breaks down two legendary medieval works: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales. I attend lectures twice weekly from 3 to 4 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Because it is a two-part course, I have had two separate lecturers. My first lecturer was a whimsical British man with great humor. He taught Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, an Arthurian legend written around 1375. The story is rife with Biblical allegory and deals with the uncanny issues of pride and chivalry. I highly recommend it. My second lecturer is an intense Irish woman and she has only given two lectures on The Canterbury Tales, but I am enjoying them. They were also written in the late 14th century, and reading Middle English has been challenging. I would compare it to trying to understand someone speaking to you underwater– you can understand most of it, but some parts are lost due to interference.

Exploring Shakespeare

Exploring Shakespeare is a somewhat interesting course. It is my only seminar course, and we meet every Tuesday from 4 to 6 pm. The class time can feel a bit long because my professor, a talkative Irish woman, half-lectures/half-discusses the Shakespeare plays we read and occasionally asks questions of the class. A lot of the time, it doesn’t feel like a seminar course. We have read Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Henry V. I have enjoyed the plays, especially A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This class is probably the most different from the experience I would have had learning Shakespeare at MLC because my professor (over)emphasizes the “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” aspect of Shakespeare.

So, how does the academic experience differ from MLC…?

Quite significantly. Let me explain:

  1. Attendance. Class attendance is optional in Ireland. I could skip every lecture and still pass a course if I wanted to. It would be tricky, but it could be done. At MLC, if you miss a single class, it feels like you missed a significant amount of knowledge (in my opinion). The attitude towards attendance is much more lax compared to MLC, which treats skipping class like a mortal sin. (I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing.) I have yet to miss a single lecture this semester because MLC has engrained a mindset of perfect attendance.
  2. Rigor. The academic experience is super relaxed compared to MLC. To succeed at MLC, you need to be disciplined with your academics– you can’t just blow off your daily assignments. Oh wait… I don’t have daily homework here. I have some reading to do each week, but reading isn’t truly homework for me. I only have to work hard for about two weeks in the entire semester. I honestly miss the academic grind of MLC because the structure forces you to be engaged with the courses. Also, my final grades are based on two to three grades. I have papers and presentations for all of my classes worth between 40 and 70% of my overall grade. 
  3. Engagement. I am not engaged with my courses here like I am at MLC. Yes, I attend all of my lectures and complete my projects on time, but my studies are not an important aspect of my life. It is nice to be able to relax on my nights and weekends, but I also am not getting as much out of my courses. I also only have class from Monday to Thursday, giving me a three-day weekend every week. I yearn for class with Professor Grubbs and Professor Degner again (even though I grumble about their homework sometimes…). 
  4. Size. Class size is much different; two of my lectures (Iconography and Shakespeare) have about 20 people, similar to MLC. However, my Genre Studies and Medieval Literature lectures have around 150 people each. Surprisingly, it’s not been a difficult adjustment– I sit near the front in every class, making it feel smaller than it is.
  5. Diversity. Galway is the most diverse place I have ever experienced in my life. Every day on campus, I hear at least three languages spoken (not including English). Galway is a popular destination for students from Asia, Africa, Europe, and North and South America. Through the Christian Society I am involved in, I have met and made friends with people from Italy, Portugal, France, Mexico, Canada, Nigeria, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Spain, India, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and many more. Surprisingly, I’ve made more friends from international places than from Ireland. It has also been a welcome surprise that I’ve been able to use my Spanish much more than I thought I would. Sometimes, I’ll casually start conversing in Spanish with strangers before or after class. Other times, I’ll eavesdrop on conversations by Spanish speakers who think I can’t understand them. It’s great fun to shock people because I don’t look like someone who can speak Spanish! I am also regularly complimented by native speakers for my “acento tan hermoso“– something that boosts my confidence!
  6. Individuality. The academic experience is much more individual than at MLC. At MLC, for better or worse, it is tough to “fly under the radar.” Almost everyone lives, eats, and studies in the same places. Even if it isn’t perfect, MLC is uniquely blessed with its collective mindset. I occasionally see people I know around campus here, but I miss going anywhere on MLC’s campus and always knowing someone. Also, the attitude of Galway’s student populace is much more egalitarian than MLC’s hierarchical structure. At MLC, it would be unfathomable for me to go on my phone during class and call my professors by their first names, but these things happen regularly in Galway. I miss MLC students’ respect for their professors and fellow students.

Overall, I have learned a lot about what I like and don’t like about academics from this experience. I have grown a greater appreciation for MLC. I enjoy the freedom I am given for other activities from this experience, especially reading and writing. So far, I have read 17 books in 2024 and have started writing a second novella. I’ve also spent more time studying my Bible, praying, and getting involved in the Christian society on campus. I’ve been asked to lead a Bible study on the book of Jonah, and I’m looking forward to using my gifts to teach others.

Please continue to pray for me. Thanks for reading!

Photos Explained:

  1. This is me using a quill. As you can probably see from the look on my face, I loved it.
  2. This is the view from the English department, looking over campus. It still can’t beat the view from 3rd floor Old Main, but it’s pretty good.
  3. This is a photo of what walking at night on campus looks like.

¿Dónde vive?

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Hola!!

It has been a little less than 2 weeks since we arrived in Spain! I can say that I am doing very well and am very happy here. I miss all of my loved ones back home but am so grateful for technology so I can stay in touch with them. I will say I have already been stressing about money, something I often do. I am trying to remember that I am not throwing my money around AND I trust that God will guide me in this financial journey. 

Now, I get to update you all about my living arrangements here in Spain! 

I live in a residencia, also known as a dorm. I live with Emily and Sarah, and 6 other girls, all of whom are fluent Spanish speakers! This is kind of funny to me, but our whole residencia has a “vogue” theme, so there are posters everywhere of Vogue magazine covers and models. We each have our own room, with our own private bathroom, desk, closet, and a pretty large TV for the size of our rooms. I am not sure how they even fit it on the wall. We do share a kitchen and living room space. I have a window that I open up on sunny days, which I love. I have made my room somewhat homey, as much as I can with the large Vogue photos (LOL). I have put up some of my favorite bible passages, favorite paintings, and photos I printed before leaving home. I have added many photos of the people I hold dear to my heart above my desk. 

 I love having my own space but also being able to get to know other girls! (Bonus that they all are fluent in Spanish!) We have started getting to know some of the girls through passing or when we are cooking or sitting at the dinner table together. (Usually close to 9 p.m. dinners for us over here…that took a bit to get used to!) A couple of our roommates are from Spain, one girl is from Patagonia, Argentina, one is from Italy, and one is from Chile. We have quite the mix and are all learning from each other. It is both fun and intimidating to hear all of the different accents and dialects of Spanish from different countries. (Not going to lie, the Chilean accent is SO difficult for me to understand.) We have all talked about spending some time together sometime soon outside of our current home, which I would really love. If I am being honest, when I talk to them, I get really nervous about my Spanish since they are all so fluent and can talk so quickly with one another. I know that eventually, this feeling will pass! 🙂 All the girls are so understanding and encouraging of us speaking Spanish with them and like to practice English too once in a while. 

Our residencia is about a 10-minute walk from school. This is one of the best things ever. (Okay, maybe not the best, but still we are SUPER thankful!) We love our walks to and from school because, for us, it is a form of exercise. We have been walking a lot which has been really impactful for both my mental and physical health. One of our ISA guides said we are in the perfect location, which made us again, so grateful. 

There are a couple of differences from my dorm back at MLC. We each have our own room here, which I do really appreciate at times, but I do miss my girl Hannah too. (My roommate the last 3 years of college.) It has been nice having my own bathroom and getting ready space as well. We have a kitchen 10 steps away from our rooms and THIS has been a game changer. I have never really cooked or been helpful in the kitchen, but I knew that this area of life was something I really wanted to grow in while in Spain. We have been buying our own groceries and making almost all of our meals. We have stove top burners and a microwave, but no oven. (BIG BUMMER.) So, I have been learning and cooking with Sarah’s encouragement and guidance. (She is so patient…) I cannot wait to keep practicing and trying new recipes in the kitchen! That is something I never thought I would say! 

Thank you again for keeping up with me!!:) God has been so good to us! 

Con Amor,
Alaina

Here is my room with my window:) (spot the Vogue pictures haha)

 

American Pride and British Prejudice

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“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” – Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice remains one of my favorite novels of all time! Austen’s novel continues to be a worldwide favorite for generations with its memorable characters and controversial themes. The two main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy quarrel with each other throughout the majority of the novel. The primary theme throughout the novel is focused on the prejudices the main characters have toward one another, and how their pridefulness gets in the way of seeing what’s really in front of them. Hence comes the perfect title, Pride and Prejudice.

Living in London for the past month has allowed me to further understand the concept of American pride. Going away from home shows me what I miss and appreciate about living in America. However, living here also highlights differences between American culture versus the different cultures I am being exposed to. Being a study abroad student means I automatically stand out in some form: whether it be in my flat, on campus, or on the streets. As soon as I speak, I immediately stand out with my accent! It is evident in the way I talk, dress, and behave that I am an American. The tiny little details that make me American (like using a 12hr time clock or using Fahrenheit over Celsius) are something I have never really noticed or thought about differently before. Also being around other American study abroad students has shown me two other things: Americans are loud, and everyone is here for different reasons.

On the first point… Americans are loud! This isn’t necessarily a negative thing. In my experience, the Americans tend to be more friendly, and outgoing compared to the British students. However, it does mean we tend to stand out more in public. In general, British students tend to be more reserved in their personalities and their tone of voice. My professors speaking in class tend to talk with a more quiet, reserved tone compared to my professors at MLC. This has taken time to get used to.

The second point… noticing everyone studying abroad is here for different reasons. Some people are here for academic and career purposes, while others are here to travel and explore Europe, and some people are just here to party and have a good time. It is interesting to ask people’s different reasons for studying abroad and specifically choosing London. That being said, I have tried to surround myself with a group of people who have similar purposes for being here and have similar interests when it comes to traveling. It is hard to balance remaining true to who I am as a person, while also branching out and getting to know a variety of people.

While studying abroad, I get to live on campus in a flat. In my flat, I have six flatmates. Four of my flatmates are British (Holly, Evie, Maya, and Harley), while two of them are other American study abroad students (Grace and Sarah). It has been nice getting to know other students who actually live in the UK. Two of my flatmates (Holly and Evie) are also studying to be teachers! It’s nice to have that in common. We all ask each other questions about each other’s countries and discuss differences in areas like schooling, climate, and food. One day I spent fifteen minutes explaining to one of my flatmates, Maya, the beauty of ranch dressing! Apparently, ranch is something that doesn’t exist here in the UK!

My flat has now become a place I am comfortable in and can call my “home.” In my flat, we each have our own bedrooms and bathrooms. This has been extremely nice to have my own private area where I can relax and reflect on my day. It isn’t the largest room, but it does the job… especially since I wasn’t able to bring loads of items from home to begin with. The kitchen and living area are a space all my flatmates share. I like being able to socialize while making meals and having this common area together. We have parts of the fridge and cabinets divided up evenly, so everyone has their own space to store their food and utensils. I enjoy getting to go grocery shopping and figure out meals on my own. The grocery store I go to is called ASDA. It is a 30-minute walk or a 15-minute bus ride away.

Three things I’ve noticed that are different here compared to the U.S. grocery stores:
1. Bags are something I have to provide or else I get charged extra
2. Items such as produce, or bread go stale quicker because they have fewer preservatives in them
3. Eggs are not found in dairy since they are not refrigerated here

I have also grown close to the flat above mine. This flat has several ISA study abroad students who I befriended and travel with. Part of the reason we have grown close is the fact that we are all American. We are all in the same boat and are trying to travel and figure out everything along the way. Despite all being American, we also notice many differences between us. Many of us are from all over the U.S. and come from different backgrounds and schooling. For example, two of the girls (Shaan and Grace) live in California and go to a film school there. Both of them plan on having careers in the Hollywood industry. It is fascinating meeting people I normally wouldn’t come across outside of this study abroad setting.

One factor I didn’t think of before coming here was sickness! I got sick with the flu around two weeks ago. I did bring American medications with me, so that was helpful. However, being sick and exhausted constantly made me think of home. I wanted nothing more than to sleep in my warm bed at home and eat chicken noodle soup! On top of not feeling well, I also decided to travel and go into the city numerous times the entire week I was sick! While it was fun to travel and see places, it was also doubly exhausting! Fortunately, I am feeling much better now, and am glad the worst is behind me.

I love the University of Roehampton and the beautiful walks I get to take to class. I also have been taking lots of time to go and walk through many of the gorgeous parks found all throughout London. I cannot wait until Spring comes, and the parks become filled with flowers and sunshine!  Looking at all the beauty around me makes me stand back and reflect on God’s majesty. He created everything in this world. It is mesmerizing getting to appreciate His creation and His love more and more every day! Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Highlights since my last post:

  • Daytrips to Cambridge, Windsor, and Stratford-upon-Avon
  • Celebrating Lunar New Year in Chinatown
  • Exploring many of London’s free museums
  • Worshipping with the WELS mission church in London

King’s College in Cambridge

Saw Wicked at the West End Theater

Daytrip to Windsor Castle

Lunar New Year in Chinatown

Till we meet again,
Alison Foxen

Life in My Residencia

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My time in Madrid has been amazing so far, and much of that is due to the housing that I live in. It is called a “residencia” that really feels like an apartment. I have my own bedroom and bathroom, which is very convenient, and I share a kitchen and living room with eight other people (two of them being Emily and Alaina:). 

The other girls are amazing! They come from all over the world, mainly Spanish-speaking countries. There are girls from Argentina, Chile, and Italy, as well as girls from Spain. I haven’t personally met every single girl here, but I am guessing that over four months here will give me plenty of time to get to know them! I usually see them and talk with them when making meals or hanging out in the living room. The one downside to so many roommates in such a small space is that the noise carries. I have had difficulty falling asleep because of the talking and laughing I hear right outside my door, which begins around 10 pm and continues into the early hours of the morning. I think this is just an adjustment I will need to get used to. However, I still enjoy talking to them and getting to know them. They can speak some English, so if there is any confusion while speaking Spanish, we can clear it up quickly with a few English words. However, the majority of the time, speaking with our roommates is all done in Spanish, which is a great challenge for me. Some accents are a little more difficult to understand than others, forcing me to try to understand and listen. All of them are so kind and have invited us several times to do various activities with them. I look forward to becoming closer with them.

Another bonus about our housing is the location. I am located in Princessa, the same neighborhood that my university is in. It just takes me a short fifteen minutes to walk to and from classes every day. The walk down the streets of Madrid is beautiful and easy. I truly have enjoyed it. My residencia is also located very close to a Metro station, where I can hop on and off the metro to various locations all over Madrid and get there fairly quickly. The convenience of my dorm has been a blessing so far, and I can’t wait to take advantage of this blessing for the duration of my time here.

The biggest challenge (though exciting) is living very independently. The dorms are very much like apartments, so every meal is on me. For the past two and a half years, I have been living in the luxury of the MLC cafeteria, so it has been quite an adjustment. At first, trying to think of what meals to make, what groceries to buy, and what time to eat them was chaotic. I like to think that my cooking and meal-planning skills have already significantly improved. 

I’ll end this entry with a short and sweet description of my personal dorm room (rm 4:). It is definitely the smallest room in the dorm, but it feels very cozy to me and easy to keep clean. I have my own desk placed in front of the window where I do my homework looking outside into the street. I have a giant TV on the wall (that I can’t figure out how to use) and Vogue posters on the other wall that were already there. Everything in this dorm is very feminine, so pink and green are everywhere throughout my room and the rest of the building. I was able to put up some of my own pictures of my friends, boyfriend, and family to make it feel a little more like home. Overall, I love my housing experience!

Mi Castillo

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When I say “my castle,” I mean my house. But we’re nestled in the Princesa neighborhood, so I’m going to call myself a princess. Some of the luxuries here almost make it feel real. Thankfully, I’m not high up in a tower that requires me to climb up a huge spiral staircase. 

Our student residence is under the management of a company called “MiCasaInn.” Who cares, right? Well, the name is actually pretty cool. “Mi casa” means “my house”. Our residence is meant to feel like a house, a place you can feel at home. 

We each have our own room at Plaza Espana (the name of our residence). Even better, we each have our own bathroom. This means not having to carry toiletries to the bathroom every morning, night, and time you want to shower. And now that we have towels and bought toilet paper, we’re really living the dream! It’s also nice to decorate our bedrooms with things from home, like pictures, and have our own space. We can sleep when we want or call whomever we want and don’t have a roommate to want to work around. There’s even a TV in every room… if only it worked.

Luckily, the TV in the shared living room works. So far, I’ve only seen it be used for music, but that’s more than I’ve gotten to work in my room! The living room has a couch and a few chairs that we occasionally use when planning or doing homework. There’s also a small table with a few chairs for eating. Sometimes, our schedules line up, so we eat with the other girls in the apartment. Other times it’s us 3, and sometimes it’s just one of us. Eating with others can be difficult because of the kitchen’s size. It’s a weird triangle-shaped area with a stovetop, a refrigerator, cupboards, a washing machine, a dishwasher, and a sink. That’s not everything a kitchen should have. Take a guess, what’s missing? Yeah, there’s no oven. Bit of a challenge, honestly. I researched some recipes before arriving in Spain, and many required an oven. So, I did more research on stovetop recipes. Shoutout to Pinterest for saving me from starvation. 

Plaza Espana has 9 rooms for these shared areas, and all rooms are filled with girls! We’ve met all of them at least once and found out they’re from various places: Argentina, Italy, Chile, and Barcelona. And then us from small midwestern towns. There are three or four girls we see often that we talk with when we can. They’re super helpful and friendly. I locked my key in my room one day, and the two gals out there were helping me call the housing program to open my door. Another night, I was walking out to say hey to Alaina and Sarah, and one of the girls had her friends over. They got free tickets to go out and had an extra, so they invited me to go with them. I couldn’t say no to free, so they let me tag along with them. I spoke Spanish with them all night and helped one of the friends practice her English, too. 

We are (in theory) only a 5-minute walk from the Nebrija campus. But there are two campuses, one of them with only one building. And that one building has all of our classes. So, it’s actually a 15-minute walk. But it’s not bad at all. The weather has been perfect for walking, though I’m sure locals would say through their scarves it’s too cold. It’s also more free (sort of) conditioning (sort of) built into my day. 

Overall, I’m very happy with our residence. The fridge is a bit small, but we got an extra little one to store some food. We’re close to a metro stop and a reasonable distance from the school. The girls we live with are very non-problematic and welcoming to us gringas.