tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21824193441700365182024-03-14T02:14:42.531-07:00International Career StudiesFinding a way to combine education and travel into one memorable experience.Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-80044393533152858382012-10-16T08:57:00.000-07:002012-10-16T08:57:00.424-07:00And This Is Why I Travel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a kid and to this day even, one of my favourite games to
play is the one where you spin a globe, plant your finger on any place at
random and then imagine all the fun adventures that await you. I would be shocked if you could honestly tell
me that you have never once tried this in your entire life. I know the first time I spun the globe and
planted my finger on a random destination I was pretty young. The
globe I used was of the out-of-date vintage variety sitting in my grandparent’s
living room that still listed Russia as the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics. I was severely disappointed
to be told that I was about 57 years too late to visit Siam (which was renamed
Thailand in 1939). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever taken the time to look at a map of the
world? And I mean really look at
it. Have you noticed just how big the
world is? It has so many different
countries of a variety of different sizes, geographic locations, climates,
cultures, topography, and other distinct features that makes each place unlike
anywhere else on the map including their close neighbours. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And yet, at the same time, the world is also incredibly
small. Despite the vastness of the
oceans, with modern technology, people can visit literally anywhere in the world
in under 24 hours. But somehow, only a
few people will ever see more than a small fraction of it. How many people live their life in their own
little corner of the world and think they have experienced a different culture
because they eat Chinese food every Thursday night?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t travel anywhere near as often as I would like
to. My hit-list so to speak of places to
see grows exponentially faster than I can check places off the list. Some of my less “flighty” friends, pardon the
pun, often wonder why it is that I love travelling and even the idea of travel
so much. There is no one single answer
of course but I will try to explain it as best as I can.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Travelling is always a new experience that can never be
duplicated. I don’t care what country, city
or continent you visit, but your second trip is never going to be like your
first and your third is going to be even more eye opening. Some people argue that this is true of any
experience. However, in defence of my
argument, going to the theatre for the first time to see Mamma Mia was an
experience. The second time my mother
dragged me, not so much. And by the third time, I felt an overwhelming urge to
toss the soundtrack CD that she picked up as a souvenir out onto the freeway as
we were speeding home. Touring the world
however never gets old. I could visit
Cuba every year for the rest of my life and always find something new and
exciting to witness be it the art, the music, a new little hole-in-the-wall
restaurant or the even the local people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Travelling is beautiful.
Whether it is the bustling city with the street vendors or the vast
hillsides out in the middle of nowhere, I am constantly amazed with the variety
of landscapes and wonders that our world has to hold. That might sound a little too sentimental for
some people, but I really do find our world to be incredibly beautiful with all
the intricate details be them man made or found in nature. Everything is so unique, alive and colourful
that as someone who has a background in art and an eye for design, I can’t help
envy the world’s unique and complimentary sense of style.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Travelling is a learning experience. Whether you classify yourself as a nerd,
jock, prom queen or otherwise, I think everyone in the world has at least to
some degree, a sense of curiosity and a hunger for knowledge. People want to learn, discover, ask
questions, get their hands dirty and find out what makes the world go
round. I have learned so much over the
course of my travels. The people I meet
always have something new to share. The
different cultures I come across are always eye opening and expand my
viewpoints, challenging my opinions on certain topics. I’ve learned much about how other people
perceive me and my own culture. I’ve
learn how to prioritize and how to relax when things don’t go according to
plan. I’ve learned how to communicate
better. I’ve learned that folded paper
maps are better than the electronic ones because the batteries in a paper map will
never die and that only when I forget my rain jacket at home will it rain the
entire week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People travel for a variety of different reasons. Each person is motivated by different
things. Maybe you are motivated to
travel because for once, you want Thursday night Chinese food to actually be
served in China and not your living room couch.
Maybe you travel because as a child, you spun an old globe in your
grandparent’s living room and decided that you needed to see as much of the
world as you could. Comment below and
share why you love to travel.</span></div>
</div>
Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-20779741426381012702012-10-09T05:59:00.000-07:002012-10-09T05:59:42.935-07:00Don’t Delay; Put Off College Today<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you considered taking a gap year? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Students, if you have parents who are downright giddy about
the idea of you going off to college or university, you might want to save this
article until they are out of the room because chances are they won’t be overly
thrilled with me for putting the idea of delaying the start of your
post-secondary schooling in your head. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I understand that completely. They want what is best for you, they want to
help you succeed and get ahead in life and to them that equates launching
yourself into more schooling so that you don’t lose momentum or fall behind
your peers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Choosing a college or university program is one of the most
important decisions you will make in your young life. It is a decision that will not only cost you
a significant amount of money to pursue, but it has the ability to dictate what
you will be doing for the next 45 years of your life. Forgive me if I am wrong, but a poor choice
here is the reason why many adults are so dissatisfied with their work lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There use to be a stigma involved with people that did not
go directly into post-secondary education after graduating from high
school. They were drifters, lazy; under
achievers who would rather spend a year undergoing what was sarcastically
referred to as “self-discovery” than buckle down and become a contributing
member of society.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This stigma doesn’t do anybody any service.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gap years are not for the lazy. They are a tool, that when used right, can
contribute greatly down the line to total career satisfaction. I’ve known many people, friends and family
alike, that have taken that year of “self discovery” to work, volunteer, build
their resumes and academics, and confirm what path they want their future to
take.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why do so many people think that is a bad idea?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Firstly, if you are not 110% sure of what you want to do
with your future, why on earth would you want to plow ahead and spend upwards
of $60,000.00 or more in tuition, books, and other fees pursuing a vocational
goal that you might not like in four or five years? Financially, it makes sense to take a year or
even just a semester off to confirm that decision in your mind before you spend
that money. It is going to cost you a
lot less in the long run to take that year off now rather than having to take
another four years off down the road to go back to school after you discover
that you really can’t stand your current career. Take the time now to learn more about a few
different career options. This can be
done through making some industry contacts, talking with them and maybe even
completing an internship or some volunteer hours to get some hands on
experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even if you are entirely confident of your future career,
taking that year off can still be incredibly beneficial and by taking the year
off I don’t mean spending the next 12 months lying on your parents’ couch
watching old sitcom re-runs. If you are
going to take a gap year, be smart about it.
If you are positive about your career choice, use your year to build up
your resume, get some job experience and network with other industry
professionals. This experience will push
you to the top of your class when you do go to school the following year (which
your parents will love) and set the stage in your future when it comes to
finding a summer internship or entry level job when you do graduate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going the post-secondary route is never
something I would discourage anyone from doing.
Be it college, university, an apprenticeship program or whatever, the
time and money you spend on your education is never a waste. But neither is the time or money you spend
testing the waters of your future career.
Use your gap year to gain some experience, build your confidence, and
set yourself up for a successful and happy career. So don’t delay, do some <a href="http://www.internationalcareerstudies.com/">research</a> and talk to your
guidance counsellor today about your gap year options.</span></span></div>
Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-78943589353952017882012-09-11T06:01:00.000-07:002012-09-11T06:01:35.943-07:00Health Check: Travelling Abroad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No one likes getting sick.
Even the slightest head cold can make some people feel miserable and
cause the people around them to run and hide so that they do not become the
outlet for that misery. And going to the
doctors is even worse. Now on top of
being sick, you get to sit in a waiting room for two hours surrounded by sick
people only to get poked and prodded and sent home with a prescription for some
medication that may or may not actually cure what ails you. Personally, I’d rather just stay home in bed
and wait it out than go to the doctor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet imagine for a minute that crawling into your own bed and
having your mom bring you chicken noodle soup was not an option. Going to your family doctor is also not an
option because you are not only just sick, you are sick while travelling abroad
and are therefore half a world away from your doctor, mom and bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeking healthcare while travelling abroad can be a
haphazard experience if you are not prepared.
Depending on where you are in the world, the standard of healthcare
might differ, there may be language barriers between you and your doctor, there
might be questions of whether your health insurance will cover medical expenses
incurred abroad and if they don’t, how will you pay for your trip to the clinic
and any medication needed. Of course,
the key phrase here is, “if you are not prepared”. There are many things that the intrepid
explorer can do to ensure that if their health does take a turn for the worse,
they know where to go, who to turn to and how they are going to cover the
costs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, know where the local hospitals and clinics are
located. Your consulate would be a good
resource to ask in this case. They
should be one of your primary resources if you do get sick as they know the
area and they know which medical centres have a good reputation and track
record for dealing with travellers. They
may even be able to point you to one that have staff on hand that will speak your
language and ease the communication barrier as you try to explain your flu like
symptoms sans vivid and potentially disturbing hand gestures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another good first step is to gather your health information
prior to leaving. You should have on
hand:</span></div>
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</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Your family doctor’s office contact information</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Insurance company contact information</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Travel insurance company contact information if
applicable</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Embassy contact information</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Medical emergency bracelets in case of serious
allergies or medical conditions</span></li>
</ul>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, check with your health insurance provider.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most will not provide complete coverage while
you are travelling outside of your country and many will not extend any
coverage at all.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a good idea to
look into obtaining international health coverage through a specialized agency
if you are planning on being away for an extended period of time.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When travelling with a specific tour group,
like </span><a href="http://www.internationalcareerstudies.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">International Career
Studies</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for example, many of their tours and programs require participants
to provide proof of insurance before departure and will provide a list of
partnered companies that offer competitive quotes.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even the healthiest of people get sick on
occasion or run into some sort incident that will require medical attention.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Canadians travelling internationally often
take for granted our easy access to healthcare until it is no longer there and
costs an arm and a leg.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know the generic names of all medication that you regularly
take. You might not be able to find
brand names that you recognize when travelling and it helps it you know that
Advil is ibuprofen and that Benadryl is diphenhydramine. If you know there are certain medications
that you will certainly need during your travels, be sure to pack an ample
supply before you depart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know it sounds scary.
But there are many places in the world that offer outstanding medical
care. Just because you are travelling
abroad does not mean that if you get sick, you give up. Just like any trip, a little planning and
forethought will save you a lot of anxiety if something does happen. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/safety-and-health/health-care-abroad"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/safety-and-health/health-care-abroad</span></a></div>
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Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-12038202992845695472012-07-31T06:25:00.003-07:002012-07-31T06:25:22.413-07:00Olympic Fever in Cuba<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games having officially launched
on Friday, I couldn’t help but get caught up in the Olympic fever of watching
newscasts and poring over articles celebrating triumphs and sympathizing with
defeats. As a Canadian, this is easy to
understand as we are still winding down from the feeling of patriotism and
excitement that was a national staple for the 2012 Vancouver Winter Olympic
Games. But what about those other
countries? What about those countries
that did not host the Games a couple years back? What about those countries
that have never hosted the Games? Are
they still as enthusiastic about the whole process and the chance of competing
(and winning) on the world stage?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cuba definitely is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Olympic Committee of Cuba or <i>Comité Olímpico Cubano</i> for those of you that speak Spanish, was
formed in 1926 and recognized by the National Olympic Committee (NOC) in 1954. Cuba first participated in the Paris Olympic
Games in 1990. They brought home two
medals in total; one silver and one gold.
Since their first showing on the international stage, Cuba has brought
home almost 200 hundred medals, most of which have been gold. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pa8sI6XGUJA9GPv1v23_h5sx4f2sVN0TS_65dVvfOX4a9t5v5CSuMT7e0tCyvu2ojarD_JZOQaxI6lLFXksieqUpIICVKd2hFkKEOWhZtfW6Fwp57THO6e-lMPcv1oQq84C-1k4_zaQ/s1600/rings.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pa8sI6XGUJA9GPv1v23_h5sx4f2sVN0TS_65dVvfOX4a9t5v5CSuMT7e0tCyvu2ojarD_JZOQaxI6lLFXksieqUpIICVKd2hFkKEOWhZtfW6Fwp57THO6e-lMPcv1oQq84C-1k4_zaQ/s200/rings.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the Summer Games, Cuba is a dominant power in events such
as boxing in which they have 32 gold medals and 19 and 12 silver and bronze
medals respectively. They are also
regular contenders in sports such as track & field, wrestling and judo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New to their list of Olympic successes however is
baseball. Baseball has been a symbol of
pride for the people since the 19<sup>th</sup> century, and enjoys immense
popularity with the locals second only to their love of amateur boxing. Baseball however, though unofficially a part
of the Games in 1904, was not accepted as an official Olympic sport until 1992. It was then that the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) granted it medal status, allowing qualifying teams to compete
in an eight team tournament that consisted of a round robin, semi-finals and
finals. All players were required to be amateurs until the 2000 Sydney Summer
Games which was first to allow professional players.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since it became an Olympic event, the Cuban team has risen
to the top of the sport and become a force to be reckoned with. With the event only having been held five
times, Cuba has medaled each and every year with gold finishes in 1992, 1996
and 2004, and silver finishes in 2000 and 2008.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baseball is a great pastime for the people of Cuba. You can always find a pick-up game going on
in the streets, junior leagues competing at the local park, and at least a
handful of locals willing to debate the greatest players, athletic feats of
greatness and memorable moments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interested in playing with Cuban baseball players on your
next trip to Cuba? They’d be happy to
have you. Contact <a href="http://www.internationalcareerstudies.com/edutourism">International
Career Studies</a> to find out more. </span></div>
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-2707716421419728592012-07-24T08:02:00.000-07:002012-07-24T08:02:01.289-07:00Elephants on Parade with Edutourism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">From 1957 to 1989, elephants in Thailand were primarily used
in the logging industry.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">They were
domesticated and trained by local villagers to work and provide the family with
an income.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">By the end of 1989, the logging
industry had grown so rapidly that the forests had been depleted to a point
where only 20 percent of the forests remained forcing the government to ban the
trade.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">With the logging industry
effectively shut down, many Thai families found themselves without a source of
income, a situation made worse by the fact that they were still in possession
of a very large animal with a very large appetite.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Some owners turned to illegal logging near
Burma, while other mahouts train their animals to give rides to tourists or
roam the city streets begging for money.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9btO9R7T-uf0GetGAjRqjdib_7XjFBWBmaKTb5jPwx67bxwv48N-PF6kaU43Y9MLRxHQ25-KJsLeevkdFJGkvGXLOGYfGTNGDXQ4xcze1luxIuE7g6YesYF62aEXXNhfjfQnHudnqn_Q/s1600/mahout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mahout" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9btO9R7T-uf0GetGAjRqjdib_7XjFBWBmaKTb5jPwx67bxwv48N-PF6kaU43Y9MLRxHQ25-KJsLeevkdFJGkvGXLOGYfGTNGDXQ4xcze1luxIuE7g6YesYF62aEXXNhfjfQnHudnqn_Q/s1600/mahout.jpg" title="What is a Mahout?" /></a><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lucky elephants however end up on reserves like the <a href="http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/index.htm">Elephant Nature Park</a> in
Chiang Mai, Thailand where they join a herd of domesticated animals, roam at
will and enjoy leisurely baths down at the river with their mahout.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, despite the government’s ban on logging, the
forests of Thailand are still slowly being depleted. There is little natural habit left for
elephants and only 5 percent of Thailand’s elephant population remains
wild. That is why the work the
volunteers are doing at the Elephant Nature Park is so important. In addition to providing a sanctuary for the
elephants, food and nutrition, veterinary care, mental stimulation and a family
environment, they also provide educational resources for guests and volunteers.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is not just another “get your chance to ride an
elephant” program. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvD5iQOJR6ggs0MX_v49vd5_O8rh5vxUiNC3LCInlf9oYG_c3aIFsa7aCVOtUceoXr0rQq9UqT5tRrYo3iRXfdV-zuMxPcbvUdsi8UKPQk6U3zyx3hd7_6EeX7KYfj5YtF5pdWr66QUw/s1600/ThaiElephant_Medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvD5iQOJR6ggs0MX_v49vd5_O8rh5vxUiNC3LCInlf9oYG_c3aIFsa7aCVOtUceoXr0rQq9UqT5tRrYo3iRXfdV-zuMxPcbvUdsi8UKPQk6U3zyx3hd7_6EeX7KYfj5YtF5pdWr66QUw/s200/ThaiElephant_Medium.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conservation and raising awareness of the elephants’
situation is a vital part of what the nature park is about. They invite tourists from around the world to
come and interact with the elephants first hand. Participants in this edutourism program can
choose to volunteer for one or two weeks and be taught by the mahouts on staff
about elephants, their habitat, herbal medicines, conservation efforts, and how
they can help to save this endangered species.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://internationalcareerstudies360.blogspot.ca/2012/02/edu-what.html">Edutourism</a>
programs, such as the volunteer positions at the elephant park in Chiang Mai,
are ideal for people and groups that want to get more out of their travels than
a few photographs. The programs are
designed to be engaging, educational and informative; providing an experience
and unique insight into another culture, another activity and even another
social political issue such as the conservation of an endangered species. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are interested in participating in an edutourism
program with elephants in Thailand, contact <a href="http://www.internationalcareerstudies.com/">International Career Studies</a>
for more information.</span></div>
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</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-51085575404256283922012-07-17T05:43:00.000-07:002012-07-23T05:41:09.736-07:00Unpaid Internships: Why Should I Bother?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a universal truth that internships are a great
stepping stone for young graduates seeking to get a foothold into the working
world. Internship positions provide
basic, entry level positions with plenty of supervision, a variety of tasks,
and consistent training to help shape your classroom education into something
useful. Internships provide work
experience and no resume is complete without work experience no matter what private
school you went to. However, the sad
fact of the matter is that many internship positions today don’t pay. Of course, that depends greatly upon what
industry you are going into and the type of company you are working for but the
truth remains that you are participating in an internship because you need work
experience and are often at the mercy of the employer. Choosing to participate in an internship
therefore often conflicts with the need to meet certain financial obligations
that many young students are faced with such as bills and school loan
payments. For some, not earning money in
exchange for work is not an option they can live with and that is completely
understandable. However, if this is your
case, I urge you not to write off the unpaid internship just yet.</span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why should you bother with an unpaid internship position?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;">You need
the work experience.</b><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Currently, you have no experience that relates
to your industry no matter how carefully you word your stint flipping burgers
at the local fast food joint.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Even entry
level positions these days require previous work experience and so not stepping
up to the plate means your resume is going to be left in a scrap paper
bin.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">You might not be able to afford to
go three months without an income.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">But
if no one will hire you based on lack of work experience, can you really afford
long term not to?</span></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;">Unpaid
internship positions mean less competition for the spot.</b><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Paid positions are few and far between and when
they do come along, you can bet that they will be swamped with applications
numbering in the hundreds.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Even with a
stellar education, it can be hard to stand out.</span><span style="background-color: white;">
</span><span style="background-color: white;">You might not get called, you might not get selected and then you will
be stuck waiting around for the next paid internship to become available.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Unpaid positions, while still competitive to
get, are great in number and more diverse meaning instead of competing against
hundreds for the primo spot, you might only have to stand-out among a handful.</span></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;">Employers
are often more flexible.</b><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">If you land a paid internship position, be
prepared to treat it as a 40 plus hour per week job that includes the
occasional evening and weekend.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">After
all, they are paying you and therefore expect you to be available.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">With an unpaid internship, employers
understand that you need to have some sort of an income to pay your bills.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">They will often allow you to customize your
schedule to accommodate a part-time job.</span><span style="background-color: white;">
</span><span style="background-color: white;">Maybe you only come in three days a week, or maybe you just work
mornings.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">This flexibility will allow
you to gain the workplace experience and networking opportunities you need and
hold down a second job that will pay the bills.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;">You are
getting paid.</b><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">You may not be receiving any financial
compensation in the traditional sense of a paycheck, but you are getting
paid.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">You are being paid for your work
with experience, the chance to network, the opportunity to learn from industry
professionals, the long term financial gain of landing a high paying entry
level position, etc.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">As long as you are
willing to embrace the definition of “payment” that extends beyond money, it is
easy to see how even with an unpaid internship, there are significant gains and
a return on your invested time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many great internship positions available out
there. Don’t be turned off of the idea
just because you see it as a financial black hole. If you are interested in participating in an
internship, consider contacting <a href="http://english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies.php">International Career
Studies</a> to see if they have an internship that suits your interests.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more internship related reading check out <a href="http://internationalcareerstudies360.blogspot.ca/2012/05/internships-equal-jobs-simple-math.html">Internships
Equal Jobs; Simple Math Anyone Can Do</a> and <a href="http://internationalcareerstudies360.blogspot.ca/2012/05/internship-attitudes-you-need-to-ditch.html" style="background-color: white;">Internship
Attitudes You Need to Ditch</a><span style="background-color: white;">.</span></span></div>
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-26414309010469006272012-07-10T06:34:00.000-07:002012-07-10T06:34:26.378-07:00Everyone Needs a Vacation Now and Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps this blog topic is just a marketing scheme to get
people to consider taking a trip or perhaps it is inspired by the fact that as
I write this I am sitting on a dock, drink in one hand and computer on my lap,
watching the sun go down while I feel more relaxed than I have in months.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fact remains however that work related
stress and burnout affect a large percentage of our population and the
tried-and-true method for dealing with these feelings is to simply take a
break.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone needs a vacation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Employers are under no legal obligation to provide workers
with a light at the end of the tunnel also known as “vacation days”, paid or
unpaid, whether you work on a salary basis, commission or get paid an hourly
wage. Yet many companies offer employees
vacation days and holiday time and this isn’t just to lure you in like a moth
to a flame and trick you into accepting their job offering. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Studies and doctors agree that taking the occasional
vacation is actually good for your mental and physical health. There have been strong links found between
vacation time and longevity. According
to the Framingham Heart Study research project, people who go on vacation just
once a year decrease their risk factors for heart disease by a whopping
20%. Aside from the direct health
benefits; time away can also improve your leadership skills and will help put
your work in perspective. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Companies realize that rested employees with outlets for
their stress and time off are healthier overall and become stronger assets to
the business with better problem solving skills and creative, cost saving
solutions. In fact, some companies even
demand that their employees use the available time off. Case in point: I was recently at a point
where I had gone almost a year without taking a vacation and my employer
started sending me not so subtle e-mails reminding me how many days I had
available.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now that I have spent eight days sitting in the sun down
by the water with a book and sunscreen, doing absolutely nothing work related,
I find myself more focused on the task at the hand. And despite the pile of work I know will be
sitting on my desk and the flood of e-mails that await me upon return, I know
that I can handle it and approach it in a less frantic and stress free manner
while still meeting my deadlines and exceeding the company’s expectations.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone needs a vacation now and again, whether you go to
Thailand and ride elephants or go to your cottage and blame the bad cell phone
reception for not being able to check your voicemail. Your work will wait, your company will
survive without you, and you will return more relaxed, focused and healthier
than you were prior to your trip.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And if your employer hesitates, just tell them that it is
per doctor’s orders.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.inc.com/guides/set-workplace-vacation-policy.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.inc.com/guides/set-workplace-vacation-policy.html</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/11148574/1/5-reasons-why-you-need-a-vacation.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.thestreet.com/story/11148574/1/5-reasons-why-you-need-a-vacation.html</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.framinghamheartstudy.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.framinghamheartstudy.org/</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies.php"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies.php</span></a></div>
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</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-7995524799547735472012-06-19T05:38:00.002-07:002012-06-19T05:38:56.418-07:00Living Abroad: Your Adopted Family<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Staying with a local host family is one of the most
affordable types of accommodations available to independent travellers going
abroad.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Student studying in foreign
countries often find this option extremely appealing as do solo adventurers
that have committed to staying in one centralized location for at least a few
weeks if not longer.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is far more
budget-friendly than staying in hotels or renting a place for the duration of
your stay.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides being easy on the wallet though, staying with a host
family has a number of additional benefits.
Other than having a comfortable and safe place to stay, you can also have
included in your fee most if not all utilities, meals, daily interactions with
the locals a.k.a. the family, a local guide if necessary and in most cases, an
immediate adopted family that will look out for your well being for the
duration of your stay and prove to be life-long friends. It also offers a safe place to get over your
culture shock, joyous family type relationships, laughter filled bouts of
miscommunication and intercultural learning.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some tips and feedback from other people who have lived
with a host family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Do not be afraid to ask a lot of questions. The last thing a host
family wants is their student to feel awkward in their home-stay. It is your home too, so enjoy it!”</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> –Alex M., Canada<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“Be sure to express
your appreciation for your host family’s hospitality at every opportunity. The
more you consciously and visibly appreciate what your host family does for you,
the more they will be inclined to create and share fun experiences with you in
the future.”</i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> – Yosuke T., Japan<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“I have found that
successful home-stays really add to effective language study programs because
you are fully immersed in the language and culture rather than for just a few
hours a day.”</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> – Thomas U., Nigeria<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“My home-stay was the
beginning of a deep and enduring international friendship. With any luck, your
home-stay will also be the start warm and lasting relationship so take the time
to get to know your family.”</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> – Cesar P., Cuba</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Depending on what country you are in, do not expect ‘American’ privacy
- your family may not be afraid to walk into your room while you are changing
and tell you that it is time for dinner.”</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> – </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Stephanie G., United
States</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“I found that to
really appreciate my host family that the best rule of thumb was to spend as
much time with them as I would with my own family. This generally included
eating dinner together and having quality conversations with my ‘parents’.”</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> – Meaghan J., Canada<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Having a real ‘home’
to come back to at the end of the day was extremely comforting. No matter what had happened that day, I
always felt safe coming home and was able to relax.”</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> – </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Paola S., Columbia<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Make sure you are
open to experiencing another culture when you go into a home-stay situation
because you are going to be faced with it every day and it can be both
challenging and extremely exciting at the same time.”</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> – Arturo L., Spain<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Your host family is
going to treat you like another member of the family. Your parents will give you chores sometimes
and your brothers and sisters will want you to play with them. They really do adopt you into their family
and it really makes it easier to be so far away from home.” </span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">- Kai W., Thailand<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Have you ever participated in a home-stay? What was the best part? Do you have any advice for others considering
the same option for their trip abroad?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-64511060306980983332012-06-12T05:39:00.000-07:002012-06-12T05:39:41.338-07:00International Spices for Your Culinary Experience<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am going to give into my glutinous side for a minute and
declare that I love food. I love cooking
food, eating food, experimenting with new recipes, discussing food with
friends, family and strangers. I love
going out to eat at new restaurants. I
love Italian food, Chinese food, Thai food, Mexican food, Greek food and even
the traditional Canadian staple known as poutine. So for me, one of the highlights of any trip
or vacation is discovering the little mom and pop shop tuck back into a corner
that sells the most mouth watering and authentic local fare. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As much as I like all types of international food, I will
have to admit that my skills in the kitchen leave much to be desired and the
contents of my spice cabinet can fit in the palm of my hand. Most of my culinary experiments result in
something akin to Hiroshima. My version
of Italian includes frozen pizza and don’t even get me started on Thai (t<i>hink a package of Mr. Noodles</i>). It can’t be my fault though; I am confident
that it is a genetic flaw passed on by my mother but where she got it from I
have no idea because my grandmother can make stroganoff that will make you cry
it is so delicious.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I digress back to the point at hand. International food. How many of us wish that we could replicate
the flavours of Thailand or the spices of Cuba for ourselves and win the
approval of any dinner guest? Or rather
how difficult is it to find authentic international cuisine in your local area
that isn’t sitting under a heat lamp swimming in grease and MSG? I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to find a
good Greek restaurant in my town since moving here almost a year ago. Even good Mexican food is hard to find and
you got to wonder how hard can it be to make a decent taco?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seems the only solution is to travel more. And hey, I am not opposed to travelling to
Thailand in order to experience, what I can only assume, will be amazing Thai
food. Unfortunately, I cannot go and
pack a year supply of take-out and leftovers in my carry-on in order to bring
the flavours of Thailand back with me.
Same goes with Cuba.
Refried-refried beans just don’t sound as nice. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good news is that there are great programs available to
students and tourists travelling to foreign destinations that allow them to
bring all the food they love home with them, no doggy-bag required. It is called
“learning-to-cook-it-for-yourself”, or, if you prefer, “culinary school”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Through a number of organizations including <a href="http://english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies.php">International Career
Studies</a>, tour groups and individual travellers have been invited to travel
to destinations such as <a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">Cuba</a> and <a href="http://english360.ca/thai_culinary">Thailand</a> in order to work alongside
master chefs and culinary experts in order to learn how to combine ingredients
and spices, work with the different traditional cooking methods, and create
menu items that scream authentic flavour.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://cocina.cuba.cu/chef.php?idchef=1">The Cocina
Culinary School of Cuba</a> is just one of the schools that are opening its
doors to international students. For
three hours a day, three to five days a week, you can take a short course of
Cuban cuisine that will cover regional foods and typical menu items, cover some
theory, provide lots of hands on instruction and in the end students receive a
certificate from the Federation of Association of the Republic of Cuba as proof
of participation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Courses are designed for beginner to advanced cooking students
and the chance to learn to prepare international cuisine from professional
international chefs sounds irresistible for someone like me that truly
appreciates good, genuine regional food.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only other option to satisfying my craving for time-honoured
Cuban home cooking is to move there permanently but I doubt my employer would
allow me to telecommute nor does that entirely solve my problem of wanting to
experience different types of international food. And if I thought finding a good Greek restaurant
here was hard, I can only imagine the limited options found in the
Caribbean. Plus I would miss poutine.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are some of your favourite international foods? Would you be interested in learning to cook
them for yourself?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-78427478202246809922012-06-05T05:35:00.003-07:002012-06-05T05:35:36.062-07:00Lost in Translation: There’s an App for That<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Foreign destinations are always a thrilling place to
visit.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After all, you can only get so
excited about traveling somewhere local.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Traveling overseas, however, offers so much more in terms of new things
to see and experience, and for most true globetrotters, it is those differences
that make it all worthwhile.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going
abroad can present some challenges other than trying to figure out how to
occupy your time during lengthy airport layovers.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Communication.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chances are, your foreign destination also
comes with a foreign language and unless you are a multi-linguist, you may
encounter some harrowing interactions with the local that leave you frustrated
with your English-to-[</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">insert language
here</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">] dictionary and performing flamboyant hand gestures in hopes of
bridging the communication gap.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We at International Career Studies encourage you to always
try and learn a new language. Becoming
bilingual has many benefits which we spoke about in another post done back in
March entitled “<a href="http://internationalcareerstudies360.blogspot.ca/2012/03/je-ne-parle-pas-le-francais-o-espanol.html">Je
ne parle pas le français… o español</a>”.
Speaking the language on a regular basis is the best way to learn of
course, but for the intrepid traveler who is concerned about getting by between
now and the day they are completely fluent in Yiddish, here are some helpful
tools for your mobile device or computer that can help make the transition
between blundering mono-linguist to smooth talker a bit easier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.jibbigo.com/website/">Jibbigo Voice Translator</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite
the funny name, Jibbigo is a fantastic speech-to-speech translation app for
your iPhone or Android device. Voted one
of Travel & Leisure’s <i>Top Travel Apps</i>,
this application allows the user to speak into the device and then have the
device speak back the sentence in the desired language. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
features state-of-the-art voice recognition software, a vocabulary of over
40,000 words, includes a dictionary, onscreen speech display and for super
convenience, the app does need to be connected to a network in order to
function. And what is perhaps the best
feature, is that Jibbigo is bi-directional which means that you can turn it
towards the person you are trying to communicate with in order to carry out a
full conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://questvisual.com/">Word Lens App</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Developed
by QuestVisual, this application for mobile devices had an amazing launch with
the spread of a viral demonstration <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2OfQdYrHRs">video</a> which amazed
and astounded people. This is a visual
app that allows you to point the camera on your iPhone at words on a menu, sign
or even billboard and have them translated.
It also features a dictionary and like Jibbigo, does not require you to
be connected to a network.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
downside is that it can get a little pricey and the translations only go one
way. For example, you would have to
purchase the English-to-Spanish translator for $10.00 and the
Spanish-to-English translator for another $10.00. However for travelers who are constantly
befuddled by street signs and menus, this magical app is definitely worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.reverso.net/text_translation.aspx?lang=EN">Reverso</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
free online translator, while not horrible pretty to look at, gets the job
done. While it does require a connection
to the internet in order to access, this service allows you to copy and paste
in your text and then translates it into the desired language with just a
simple click. It also offers a
dictionary, conjugation guide, grammar tutorial and a few other nifty features
that go beyond simply translating a phrase to helping you understand the
sentence construction which is great if you are actually trying to learn the
language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://translate.google.com/">Google Translate</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
of course, let us not forget Google.
This powerful search engine offers a basic online translation service and
app for your mobile device for free.
Whether you only need to enter a single word, a single sentence or an
entire document, it can handle just about anything you throw at it. Simple and easy to use, Google Translate has
voice input for 17 languages, spoken translations for 24 languages and text
translations for 63.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For
anyone who has used this service before, you already know that it has the
potential to distort many of the available translations, specifically those
with abstract alphabets and characters; however, it is accurate enough to get
the gist across when traveling and it is free so we can forgive it for being
grammatically incorrect at times. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, that’s not to
say a standard hard copy dictionary isn’t worth investing in for that time when
your mobile battery dies but with so many fast and easy applications out there,
it is hard for the average traveler not to admit the value in having a digital
copy at hand that won’t leave pronunciation up to the imagination. Do you have a favourite app that you use
while traveling? We’d love to hear which
tools you have used and found useful.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-10591977417660567572012-05-30T05:39:00.000-07:002012-05-30T05:39:29.825-07:00How Obnoxious Are You When Travelling?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Travelling is great.
I can’t imagine why some people don’t like it but the chance to go
somewhere new and experience something different from the mundane existence of
everyday life is exciting and honestly I don’t do enough of it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, with all those foreign places come foreign cultures
and a host of behaviours to avoid. Other
than the cultural woes that might lands you in trouble like <a href="http://internationalcareerstudies360.blogspot.ca/2012/04/avoid-stepping-on-thai-toes-cultural.html">exposing
the bottom of your feet in Thailand</a>, there are some other more common practices
that tourists have that earns them the label of being obnoxious. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>The “Inappropriate Fashionista”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It may be okay where you are from to walk
around in short shorts with your underwear popping out at the waist and a shirt
that has less fabric involved than a handkerchief but it might not be at your
destination. The inappropriate
fashionista doesn’t care though and will continue to dress however they desire
no matter how many jaws drop for a less than appreciative reason. A word of
advice to the wise: dress to blend in, not to stand out when travelling abroad.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>The “Snap Happy Photographer”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing irks the locals more (or even other
tourists for that matter) than the snap happy photographer that takes pictures
of literally everything from the cab driver parked on the side of the road to
the watermelon fruit basket in the buffet line.
This tourist can easily be identified by the way they walk in a
zig-zagging line, eye through the lens, running into walls. You know exactly what I am talking about
whether you’ve been stuck walking behind this person or you are this
person. I have nothing against
photographers who are trying to capture memorable moments and breath taking
landscapes but that watermelon fruit basket isn’t really that amazing and the
rest of the buffet line will appreciate you moving forwards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>The “Traffic-Accident-Waiting-to-Happen”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Traffic laws don’t seem to apply to this
type of tourist. Traffic laws are more
like suggestions anyways right? Crossing
at a cross walk and waiting for the light to change are unnecessary to them. And heaven forbid they actually rent a car
because staying in the right lane is a silly rule as is avoiding cyclists and
yielding to pedestrians. Just because
you are a tourist, and even if you are only a pedestrian at that, doesn’t mean
that you should not educate yourself on the traffic laws of the country you are
in and you should definitely obey them in order to avoid coming into contact
with a traffic cop or worse, someone’s front bumper.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>The “Friend”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This person is <i>everyone’s</i> friend or at least thinks that everyone <i>wants</i> to be their friend and so they are
constantly introducing themselves, handing out their e-mail, asking to exchange
contact information and otherwise becoming BFF with everyone they meet. You may meet someone who you really connect
with and are genuinely interested in being long term friends with but a good
number of the people you meet are only smiling and nodding politely until you
go away and have no intention becoming your pen pal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>“Oblivious”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You just flown half way around the world
and landed in a completely different country with different traditions,
religions, cultures and mannerisms but none of that matters because you feel
right at home. Everyone is so friendly
and polite, stepping out of your way and being 100% accommodating. There is no need for you to even try to learn
the language or the customs because, you are a tourist and they don’t
mind. In fact they are quite happy to
have you around so that they can learn about your culture and your mannerisms. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have stayed home…
right? People <i>do</i> mind that you are rude and are oblivious and/or indifferent of
their customs. Don’t be the “oblivious”
tourist. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>The “Back-Home Reminiscer”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Back home in my country, we eat with a
fork and a spoon, only mow the lawn on Saturdays and wash our camels in the
driveway because it is illegal to wash them in the bath tub.” All I have to say to this type of tourist is
that we are not in your country and therefore unless I ask, I don’t want to
hear you compare it to the place we are currently in. The “back-home reminiscer” has a bit of a
superiority complex and loves to talk about their home. It is great that they love home so much but
with all that talking and comparing that they are doing, they are missing out
on the rich heritage that is right in front of them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>The “Mono-linguists”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone speaks English right? Therefore I should not have to make any
attempt to try and learn the local language.
If I speak loudly enough with flamboyant hand gestures, they will
understand eventually. “Mono-linguists”
are the type of tourists that buy a phrase book before travelling and then use
it as a coaster instead of an important resource. Yes, learning a new language can be
difficult, but it is even more difficult trying to find your way back to your
hotel if you can’t even ask for simple directions.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you fall under any of these obnoxious tourist types? I’ll admit, I might be guilty of one or two
on the rare occasion and I always feel bad after realizing it since having
worked in a town that attracts a lot of tourist, I’ve been on the other side
plenty of times myself a.k.a. irritated local.
Pass this list on to someone you know who might be guilt of one of these
travelling crimes and save another local somewhere else in the world the
headache and your friend the label of obnoxious tourist.</span></div>
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-6419170115926807422012-05-22T09:14:00.000-07:002012-05-23T05:28:58.653-07:00Culture Shock Déjà-vu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Culture Shock Déjà-vu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You were expecting this.
The sudden onslaught of a new culture as you step out of the airport
thousands of miles and an ocean away from home.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The people are different.
The food is different. The houses
are different. And everyone’s behaviour
just seems weird to you. You feel alone
and out of place. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is called culture shock and it is quite normal actually
when people travel to foreign places with cultures that are vastly different
from their own. For example, Canadians
travelling to the United States don’t experience a strong level of culture
shock. Other than having to get over the
fact that ice tea does not come already sweetened (an issue I have experienced
and that still irritates me to this day), there isn’t much difference and most
misunderstandings are small and irrelevant.
Compare that to travelling from Canada to Thailand, however, and my
unsweetened ice tea fiasco pales in comparison.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most travellers are aware of this phenomenon and prepare for
it accordingly. A little bit of research
beforehand can do wonders in preparing a person for the sudden change in
culture; helping them adjust more easily so that the shock wears off sooner
rather than later. The same is true for
students participating in internships or exchange programs for extended periods
of time. They might miss their families
back in their native country but soon enough they feel quite at home conversing
with the locals, bartering with the street vendors and immersing themselves in
culture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then they go home and it is like déjà-vu. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The culture shock hits them again but this time it is their
own culture. One would think that going
home would be easy. After all, home is
familiar. The culture and the people
there have been with you throughout your entire life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet, all of a sudden the people are different. The food is different. The houses are different. And everyone’s behaviour just seems weird to you.
You feel alone and out of place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a friend who travelled to Africa for a year to teach
English. I love her to death, but when
she came back, there were a few habits we had to break her of before taking her
out in public. She had completely
adapted to the local way of life down in Africa and it took her a little while
to become “Canadian” again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As “off” as she seemed to us though, I can only imagine how
we all seemed to her. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you have travelled somewhere foreign for an extended
period of time, you become fully integrated into a different lifestyle. You alter your behaviours and you adapt. You pick up on some of the local habits and
idiosyncrasies without even realizing it.
The realization only hits when you finally come home.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You obviously won’t have to do all the pre-planning and
research in order to lessen the culture shock déjà-vu, but you will have to be
prepared for it. After living a
different life for so long, don’t be surprised if you need to take a while to
ease yourself back into your previous life.
You’ll adjust. But don’t forget
everything you learned about your adopted homeland and definitely remember to
keep in touch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-53631554474258845822012-05-15T07:24:00.000-07:002012-05-15T07:24:04.237-07:00Go International in Your Own Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get International in
Your Own Home<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever participated in an international internship or
exchange program? Maybe you went
overseas while you were in high school or college. Perhaps one of your children is interested in
participating in an international program.
Maybe one of your friends just came back from a four month <a href="http://english360.ca/thai_education">educational program in Thailand</a>
and can’t stop gushing about all of the amazing things she experienced. You’d love to participate but unfortunately
your full time job, family and personal commitments don’t allow you that
freedom. Don’t condemn yourself to the
sidelines though because there are other ways that you can get involved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ever wonder where all these international students are
staying and how they can afford to live in a new country for half the
year? Chances are they are staying in
homes like yours and mine.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">International exchange programs often rely upon local
citizens to offer up homestay situations for their students. Homestays, were a student stays in the home
of a local family for the length of their trip, are set up through a number of organizations
with both the family and student being carefully screened and paired up to
ensure the comfort and safety of everyone involved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some host families offer accommodations similar to local
student housing. Students are provided a
room within the family home and all utilities in exchange for rent money, maybe
$300.00 to $700.00, depending on the location.
In some cases, the host family may also choose to include meals as well, leading to a situation where the
student becomes more fully integrated with the family as they can chat and
share stories over the dinner table. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another popular option for families with young children or a
disabled family member that requires additional care can be to join up with an
Au Pair program. Au pair students act as
nannies or caregivers within their host family, follow a schedule and daily
routine and in exchange are provided with a room, meals and monthly stipend of
anywhere between $150.00 to $350.00.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both have their benefits for the student but what about for
the host family? Other than the obvious
perk of either the extra income or the extra helping hand around the house,
what is it that makes families want to take in an international exchange
student?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It really is a personal decision when it comes right down to
it, as letting a stranger live in your home is a disconcerting idea for
many. But more times than not,
international students are so grateful and appreciative that it becomes a
rewarding experience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think about it; these students are thousands of kilometres
away from home in a foreign country trying to learn a foreign language and new
job skills. Their host family and home
often becomes a pillar of support for them, somewhere comfortable where the
people are familiar. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having an international student in your home is a great
learning experience for you personally as well.
Ask questions about their home town, culture, customs, family life. It will give them a chance to practice their
language skills and you a chance to learn about an exotic new place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also consider the fact that if you or one of your family
members are interested in studying abroad at one point, it would be a great
opportunity to experience and witness how an international exchange works all
from the comfort of your own home.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have considered becoming a host family to an
international student, contact <a href="http://english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies.php">International Career
Studies</a> to get more information about what is required and what you can
expect when hosting an international student. </span></div>
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-51309111687008951432012-05-08T05:36:00.001-07:002012-05-08T05:36:59.541-07:00Internship Attitudes You Need to Ditch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In order to get the most out of your internship, you need to
have the right attitude going in. Even
as an unpaid worker you still have basic human rights and you <i>are</i> getting paid with work experience
that will be invaluable to you when you go to apply for a real job so stop your
complaining. Here are some attitudes you
need to ditch before your first day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, it’s just a
mandatory course requirement<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing in life is mandatory (except death and taxes). Even if your internship is required by your
college or university course, it still isn’t mandatory in the sense that you
didn’t have a choice in the matter. You
chose your program for a reason and the fact that it had an work placement
program might have been a key selling feature back when you didn’t have six
term papers to write and a high score in Tetris Battle. Treating your internship just like another
course that you have to pass in order to graduate is not going to be
helpful. This is perhaps your first real
glimpse at how your industry functions on a day-to-day basis and you need to
recognize the opportunity for what it is; the chance to learn, participate and
network.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It isn’t a real job…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>[buzzer]</i> Wrong. There might not be any money exchanging
hands, but for all intents and purposes, your internship is a real job. Although you might need a little bit of extra
training and guidance at the beginning to get you started, expect your employer
to treat you just like any other employee.
They did not just let you walk in the doors and start working. Chances are that they selected you from a
pile of resumes, interviewed you, saw some glimmer of potential and offered you
the position complete with a confidentiality agreement, HR department and a
work space that included a few company branded pens. Therefore, if you show up late, bad mouth
your senior staff members, dress like a slob and miss deadlines, you can also
expect to be shown the door. Your
internship is one impressed manager away from being a “real” job so that means
treating it as such.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am just the intern;
all I do is get the coffee.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t think I ever got coffee for anyone over the course
of any of my internships. In fact, they
offered to bring me coffee. If you belittle
your role and expect to be nothing more than your supervisor’s personal lackey,
then chances are that is all you will be.
It is true, that as an intern you will probably be handed more grunt
work than you would like but that is a fact of life that you need to get
over. You don’t have the experience to
be put in charge of a major account nor have you paid your dues yet in order to
get them to trust you with high stakes projects. You are not going to own the place when you
walk in the door on your first day. Prove
that you are reliable, hard working and speak up to let them know that you have
good ideas and in time you will earn the respect and recognition that you want
and perhaps even a job to boot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you caught onto the trend here? Your internship is not a jail term, just
another school requirement and definitely not a place to slack off. You are there to learn and make a good
impression on your colleagues. Be
professional with both your clothing and mannerisms. Be open to learning from anyone. Speak up, be heard and get involved with
every aspect of the company. </span></div>
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-78705068034490845092012-05-01T06:43:00.001-07:002012-05-01T06:43:39.023-07:00Internships Equal Jobs; Simple Math Anyone Can Do<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is that wonderful time of the year again for college and
university students. Exams are
done. It is time to celebrate, let loose,
burn those text books and find a menial summer job in order to pay for gas,
beer and a cute summer wardrobe. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is my question to those students though: are you
kidding me?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are paying thousands of dollars for your education (or
maybe your parents are) in order to start a career that you are excited about
(or at least your parents find acceptable).
You have a good knowledge base, you are young and a quick learner yet
you are still going to spend your summer working behind the bar of some
downtown restaurant?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You might not have graduated yet but chances are you have
learned something at this point. Every
student from first year to post grad have something to offer in terms of a
fresh outlook and critical thinking. And
guess what, the industry has something to offer you too and that is an
internship.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many baulk at the idea of doing an internship before they
graduate because they are under the impression that the only reason to do an
internship is to get a job and since they plan on returning to school in the
fall, there is no point because a job is unwanted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These students are failing to look at the bigger picture. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a list of some of the things internships offer that
often get overlooked:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Job Experience<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay,
so this one is pretty obvious but it deserves to be at the top of the list
because it is the most important reason to participate in an internship whether
it is paid or unpaid. Have you noticed
that even entry level positions these days ask for 1-2 years of previous experience? No one is going to hand you a job on a silver
platter. You have to earn it with
valuable work experience and the more you have the better. This means that if you want to be a
journalist for example, you will intern as a Jr. Copy Editor at a local
newspaper this summer, a Media Planner for a magazine next summer, and travel
abroad as an assistant to a foreign correspondent for a news station the summer
after that. Actual job experience is
valuable beyond measure for landing your dream job.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Networking
Opportunities<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe
the place you land your first internship is not the place you want to spend the
next two to three years of your life.
That’s okay. Aside from the job
experience that you are getting, you are also going to have the chance to meet
and connect with other people from your industry. Now that might not sound exciting because
they obviously work in a place where you don’t want to work. But guess what, they have other friends in
the industry who might have jobs in a place where you do want to work. If you make a good enough impression on your
more senior level co-workers, they are going to be more than willing to make an
introduction for you that could lead to the job you do want.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Career Test Drive<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are
you absolutely 100% positive beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is the career
you want to spend the next 47 years of your life doing? If you are, congratulations. You are one of the few students who are and
won’t end up switching majors or career paths at least three times before
getting out of school and into the work world like a large number of your
peers. While university and college may
give you an idea of what the industry is like and what to expect from your
future job, there is still a level of disconnect between the classroom experience
and the real world. An internship is a
practical tool to use when investigating your career path. If you think you want to pursue law, consider
an internship at a law office. If you
are interested in pursuing a career in advertising, I can tell you from
personal experience that an internship is invaluable because if you do decide
that advertising is for you, you will still need to decide whether you want to
go into media buying, accounts, sales, creative, marketing, public relations and
the list goes on. Consider your
internship a chance to test drive your career options because the good news is
that if you don’t like it, you can find out before you graduate and switch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Demonstrates
Initiative<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
potential employers look at your resume and see an internship, it tells them
two things. One, you have some work experience which makes you more valuable as
a potential employee. Two, they see a
person that has taken the initiative to actively participate in an industry
that they are quite possibly passionate about.
They see someone who is interested enough in their field to go out and
work, potentially for free, before society expects them to contribute in a
small yet meaningful way. Employers like
to see this. They obviously enjoy what
they do and probably enjoy talking about it as well so you’re at an advantage if
you have a few of your own anecdotes to share.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Internships Actually
Create Jobs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No,
really, they do. Some might think that
internships actually make it harder for some people to find work because there
are students out there willing to work for free. After all, why would a business pay someone
to do a job when they can just slap the label of “intern” on it and get someone
to do the same task but in an unpaid capacity?
The fact is that by hiring interns, employers are assisting in the
training and development of the future workforce. As the current generation of workers age and
retire, the economy is going to need to replace them with qualified new people
that have the training and work experience to be successful and stimulate the
business, driving growth across all sectors.
This is perhaps the most compelling argument for why employers should
offer internships and the most important reason why young students should take
those opportunities to learn.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To sum it all up, internships lead to jobs. Period.
Whether your internship employer hires you, gives you a great reference
that lands you a job with another firm or provides you with the connections to
be successful with your job hunt, very few interns leave their internship
positions feeling as if they have wasted their time. The main point is that the conversion rate of
interns landing full-time paid jobs is increasing. In this <a href="http://www.naceweb.org/s04252012/intern-conversion-rate/">article</a>, The
National Association of Colleges and Employers claims that the conversion rate
of interns to jobs actually rose 8.5%. That is hard proof to ignore. So if you are one of those lucky students who
have the summer off unlike most of the working world, don’t squander it. Make the most of the next four months and
invest your time in something valuable.
Perhaps a <a href="http://english360.ca/thai_education">teaching
internship in Thailand</a>?</span></div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-71383866609679270272012-04-25T09:51:00.001-07:002012-04-25T09:51:46.836-07:00Career Development 101<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether you have just graduated, are stuck in a dead-end
job, are switching careers or just want to move up the corporate ladder a
little, career development is something a lot of people struggle with. They are either under the illusion that it is
something that “just kinda happens” or they don’t think it is possible for
them. Or maybe it just isn’t possible
right now but whatever their mindset, they neglect to make a plan and look for
opportunities to get them the career they have always imagined. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Career development is not a passive thing. It is active and ongoing and something that
you are going to have to invest some time and energy into. And it can be complicated but only if you
make it complicated and are unprepared to handle the process. But it is doable; the millions of successful
people in the world are a testament to that, so don’t give me any excuses. I’ve broken it down into five easy stages and
though this isn’t an exact science, it should get you off on the right foot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know Where You Are<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am pretty sure I have said this before but trying to get somewhere
in life without knowing where you are starting from is pointless. Even Google maps realize this and won’t give
you directions unless you provide the search engine with a Point A and a Point
B. My mother doesn’t understand this
concept as she constantly calls me from the road, asking for directions, but
since she has no idea where she is, I can’t help which is why we got her a GPS
last Christmas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The same is true for you with respect to career
development. If you don’t know where you
are or what you have to start with, getting to where you want to be is a shot
in the dark. Make an inventory of your
career related skills. Did you go to
school? What courses did you take? Do you have any previous related career
experience? Do you have any industry
contacts that could point you in the right direction? Why do you what to go into a particular
career? What motivates you? These are all important things to consider
when plotting your career development if for no other reason that your
potential employer will care and you need to have the answers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, when writing down your experience, make sure it is career
specific at this stage. If you have to
stretch your imagination to find a link then chances are it isn’t a strong
enough asset. Building up your “relevant
work experience” may lend you confidence, but you are only fooling yourself. For example, when I was applying for a high
school summer job at a coffee shop (Tim Hortons, if you must know), I put the
fact that I had my lifeguarding on my résumé.
Unless people were going to be falling in and drowning into the ice
cappuccino machine, this experience was irrelevant to my ability to serve a cup
of coffee in 16.2 seconds to surely morning caffeine addicts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know Where You Want
to Be<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This makes sense if you use the direction analogy again because
just like I can’t give my mother directions without knowing where she is, I
also can’t help her get anywhere if she doesn’t know where she wants to go and
neither can her GPS.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years? Ten years
even… If you had the time, money and connections to find your dream job, what
would it be?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feel free to dream big here, however, also remember to keep
some realistic expectations in mind. Not
everyone gets to be the Queen of England, Leader of the UN or the first person
to land on Pluto. But don’t let that
intimidate you. Even if your dream job is outside of your current career
trajectory, there is no reason why it still cannot work out. You have options and there are very few
limits that cannot be overcome (except for my mother’s inability to read a
map).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know What You Need to
Get There<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time for a reality check.
You now know where you are and can compare it to where you want to be,
the gap between the two places can now be measured. This is not the time to be underestimating
the difference because you will only be short-changing yourself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consider a variety of different ways to get where you want
to go (sleeping your way there is not an option). Do you need to go back to <a href="http://www.campusstarter.com/">school</a>? Do you need to get some more work experience?
Would an <a href="http://english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies.php">internship</a>
be useful? Many people use internships
to get their foot in the door somewhere they really want to work. Are you willing to take a potential pay
cut? Is it going to mean travelling
more? Do you have the right contacts and
if not, who do you need to connect with to make things happen? What time frame are you looking at?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Knowing what you will need to bridge the gap between the
“here” and the “there” is a critical stage because this will become your road
map or in my mother’s case, the GPS. And
as long as you avoid driving into the lake metaphorically speaking, there is no
reason why you won’t be able to develop your career as you desire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Write It Down<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After you are done all this planning and strategizing, write
it down. Writing it down will make your
plan concrete and give you a visual representation of the steps and milestones
you need to reach in order to get your dream career. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A useful tool would be a <a href="http://nides.bc.ca/resources/pbl_mini/page10.html">work-back schedule</a>. If you are not sure what that is, feel free
to click the link and read up on it some more but basically it is a schedule
that starts with what you want to accomplish at the top and works backward
detailing every single step needed to get there along with specific actions,
tools needed and deadlines. If you do it
right, the schedule will look quite daunting.
However, by breaking everything you need to accomplish into tiny,
manageable chunks and outlining what needs to be done to accomplish that small
goal, you will be surprised how quickly things get checked off the list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having an actual list will serve the purpose of keeping you
goal-orientated and on track as you can always refer back to it if you stumble,
take a detour, or just need a reminder of what you are striving for.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do It<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And last but not least, you have to do it. Many of us spend all our time planning and
not actually doing. It is great to have
goals and an action plan but if you never get around to executing it, it isn’t
worth the paper or hard drive space you wrote it on.</span></div>
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<a href="http://careerplanning.about.com/od/careeractionplan/a/action_plan_lng.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Career
Action Plan - About.com</span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.workopolis.com/work.aspx?action=Transfer&View=Content/Common/ArticlesDetailView&lang=EN&articleId=cqa20090926File1Article1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Creating
a Career Action Plan for Myself - Workopolis</span></a></span></div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-63942919362851550632012-04-17T05:42:00.000-07:002012-04-17T05:43:12.069-07:00Top 30 "You-Gotta-Try-This" Cuban Vacations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone wants to make sure they get the most out of their
vacation. After all, you have precious
few vacation days to use each year and you don’t want to waste them on
something as dull as your second cousin’s niece’s ballet school’s dance
recital. (Go figure). So if you do take
a vacation and Cuba is your destination, here is a list of the top 30 things
that you don’t want to miss out on. </span></div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Snorkeling at Pilar Beach (Playa Pilar), Cayo Coco </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sun bathing on the Varadero Beach, Varadero </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Horseback riding in Valle de Vinales, Vinales </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">Learn Spanish</a>
at the University of Havana, Havana </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wind surfing at Playa Paraiso Beach, Cayo Largo </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">Photography</a> in
Old Havana, Havana </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ride a catamaran around Cayo Blanco, Matanzas </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">Jazz street music</a>
at Old Square (Plaza Vieja), Havana </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Swim in the El Nicho Waterfalls, Cienfuegos </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">Art restoration</a>
at the Romance Museum, Trinidad </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Revolution history at the Mausoleo del Che Guevara,
Santa Clara </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soak up the nightlife at Plaza Mayor, Trinidad </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Traditional <a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">Cuba
dancing</a> in Plaza de la Catedral, Havana </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get a glimpse of colonial Cuba at the Museo Nacional de
Bellas Artes de Cuba, Havana </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Witness <a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">historical
architecture</a> at the San Pedro de la Roca del Morro Castle, Santiago de Cuba </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Play with the dolphins at Bahia de Naranjo Natureu Park,
Holguin </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Catch a game of <a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">baseball</a>
at Estadio Latinamericano, Havana </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nightly <a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">water
ballet</a> shows at the Oasis Turquesa Resort, Varadero </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fire off a canon at Castillo de San Carlos de la Cabana,
Havana </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tour the Christopher Columbus Cemetery, Havana </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hit the greens at the Varadero Golf Club, Varadero </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a jeep tour through Saturno Cave, Varadero </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dig into literature at the Museo Hemingway Finca Vigia,
Havana </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Artists can spend the day <a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">painting</a> the scenery at Josone Park,
Varadero </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take in a <a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">theatre
performance</a> at Gran Teatro de la Habana, Havana </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix up some <a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">cocktails</a>
and fun at Punta Gorda, Cienfuegos </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">Roll your own
cigars</a> at the Partagas Cigar Factory, Havana </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out the sea turtles at the Sea Turtle Hatchery, Cayo
Largo </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Develop your own <a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism">perfume</a>
at Chateau Madrid Perfumeria, Marianao </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://english360.ca/edutourism" style="font-size: 11pt;">Classic
car show</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> in the Plaza Jose Marti, Cienfuegos</span></span></li>
</ol>
<br /></div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-48052964549843578922012-04-10T05:44:00.000-07:002012-04-10T05:45:23.317-07:00Avoid Stepping on Thai Toes - Cultural Dos & Don'ts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you do manage to wade through all the paperwork and
travel details required for you to travel abroad for an extended length of
time, (good for you by the way), be prepared because the hard part is not yet
over. North American’s like to believe
that Western culture is predominant everywhere we go and therefore expect other
to understand that being loud, boisterous and prone to colourful language are
just some of the innocent ways in which we express ourselves. And while the locals might to a certain
extend understand that yes, that is just the way foreigners are, remember that
you are a guest in their country and are obligated to adhere to their way of
life and not the other way around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Therefore here are some cultural dos and don’ts for visiting
Thailand. Get them wrong and in many
cases you risk offending someone. Worst
case scenario, you go to jail. Consider
yourself warned. (dun, dun, dun.)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Dos of Thailand<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smile.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s that
simple.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thai culture teaches that any
issue can be resolved with a smile so even if you are having trouble with
negotiating a price with a vendor, just smile and remember that being polite
will often get you much better results.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leave your shoes outside. There are some exceptions to this
rule such as large shopping centres but traditional Thais will always remove
their shoes before entering a room.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
is especially enforced when you are entering someone’s home or a
temple/religious place.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eat with a spoon.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This may sound a little odd but Thai people will use the fork to push
food onto the spoon and then eat from the spoon.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Asking for chopsticks will just get you a
funny look.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Wai” when greeting people instead of a handshake.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The “wai” is a traditional Thai greeting done
by giving a short bow from the waist with your fingertips pressed together near
your chest or face. Traditionally, a person of lower rank will “wai” first with
their hands closer to their face as a sign of respect.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another sign of being polite in Thailand is to ask questions
about age, salary or marital status.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These types of questions might sound too open or even rude to tourists
but they are actually very common among the Thai people.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You don’t have to answer, just tell them that
it is a secret or ‘mai bok’ (not telling).</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And always remember to smile.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buddhism is the dominant religion in Thailand and almost all
Thai people practice this religion.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You
must take extra care to avoid offending their religion.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wear appropriate clothing when entering a
temple – avoid sleeveless shirts, flip flops, short shorts or skirts or any
clothing with crude statements.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remove
your shoes before entering.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Try to learn some of the local language.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even learning a simple greeting will impress
the Thai people with your openness and willingness to try to bridge the
language barrier. It will earn you metaphorical brownie points.</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I said “Nay, nay.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never shout, lose your temper or cause a scene in
public.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This goes with the first point
but mainly the gist of it is that Thais do not ever want to been seen “losing
face” and doing so is seen as disgraceful.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Public displays of affection, even between married people,
are frowned upon.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Avoid acts such as
hugging, kissing or even hand holding when out and about.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The head and the feet of a person are considered to be
sacred and taboo respectively.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do not
touch someone on the head and never display the soles of your feet to anyone so
avoid crossing your legs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is illegal to take an image of Buddha out of the country
unless special permission has been granted by authorities.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shops will sell you items but they may not
tell you about this restriction.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never show disrespect to the King or the monarchy.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Thai people have a great respect and
affection for their King.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In fact, not
only will even the friendliest jest be considered impolite, it is also against
the law.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You must also remember to show
respect to all things that bear the King’s image.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local currency falls into this category so it
must never be stepped on, crinkled or mishandled.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Engaging in prostitution, illegal drugs, trafficking or
gambling will land you in prison.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is
as simple as that so don’t.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, this list only scratches the surface so be
prepared to do your own research before travelling to Thailand. If you have any more Dos and Don’ts of your
own to add to the list, I want to hear about them so leave a comment and tell
me about your experience in Thailand. Travelling
is a great way to meet new people and expose yourself to new cultures and
perspective which in a world that is becoming more and more globalized, is
extremely important.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/825/29842/Dos+and+don%E2%80%99ts+in+Thailand?destId=357640"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/825/29842/Dos+and+don%E2%80%99ts+in+Thailand?destId=357640</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.hasekamp.net/dodont.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.hasekamp.net/dodont.htm</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.reservethaihotels.com/Vol.1/staying-out-of-trouble-in-thailand-cultural-dos-and-donts.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.reservethaihotels.com/Vol.1/staying-out-of-trouble-in-thailand-cultural-dos-and-donts.html</span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.thaizer.com/thailand-dos-and-donts/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.thaizer.com/thailand-dos-and-donts/</span></a></span></div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-70121891170312049962012-04-03T05:59:00.000-07:002012-04-10T05:45:48.494-07:00Stretch those muscles and flex your culture.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unless you work at your family owned and operated Italian
restaurant, chances are your workplace is going to employ people from a variety
of different cultural backgrounds. There
are very few places these days that you can go without encountering someone of
a different ethnic, religious, cultural or gender orientated background. I am a strong believer that diversity is
something that everyone should rejoice in because even if you might not agree
with someone else’s way of thinking, the chance to interact with people from
other backgrounds is an eye-opening experience and a great learning opportunity
that allows us to look at the world from a different perspective.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cross-cultural training is becoming the focus of many
multinational companies and even some smaller ones. Ideally, organizations want to hire people
that already have these skills, especially for managerial positions. However, is culture sensitivity training
enough? The following is an excerpt from <a href="http://knowledge.asb.unsw.edu.au/article.cfm?articleid=1417"><i>The Rise of the Global Employee</i></a>,
published by the Australian School of Business:</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #595959;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cross-cultural
training and fluency in a new language are expected parts of the armoury of
most multinational managers prior to being dispatched to work in foreign
subsidiaries. Typically, they set out confident that they know what to expect
and, importantly, that their behaviour will not offend. But preconceived ideas
of how local staff members – host-country nationals – might behave in the
"new" territory and how the manager might behave towards them are
risky.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #595959;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"People
think every local working in a multinational organisation is a representative
of the local culture, but that's not the case," says<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Dan Caprar, a lecturer in Organisation
and Management at the Australian School of Business. "In China, for
instance, foreign managers tend to assume all of the local staff will behave in
a way that matches common stereotypes about Chinese people."<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back when all this globalization stuff was becoming
mainstream, (a.k.a. managers finally realized that cultural differences needed
to be addressed since they were offending people left, right and centre)
companies were under the impression that they could lump all their employees
into one big lecture hall, feed them some cultural stereotypes on what sorts of
behaviours are deemed normal and acceptable and assume that everyone would get
along just peachy after that. After all,
this was the Age of Information and Technology and you could take whatever golden
piece of wisdom you found on Wikipedia to the bank.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their newly trained employees remained ill-equipped to work
in a multinational company. This was
due to a number of reasons however the main reason was that for all their
cross-cultural training, employees were still unable to look at each individual
as a person and not just a stereotype.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When people work for a multinational company, they too
become multinational. The Asian
employees are taught to see things from a global perspective much like the
Americans are. According to the <a href="http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/The-rise-of-the-global-employee---when-host-countr-pd20110608-HLSPQ?OpenDocument&src=sph">Business
Spectator</a>, “they see themselves as ‘global citizens’ – modern, cosmopolitan
and sophisticated.” They integrate
themselves into a more diverse culture and become atypical of their country in
many senses. These employees will then
proceed to get frustrated when they are labelled and treated as something other
than what they are.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So is cross-cultural diversity training bad? No, of course not. Is it enough?
Once again, no. An <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2012/03/diversity-training-doesnt-work.html">article</a>
from the Harvard Business Review (HBR) actually outlines a situation where
diversity training actually made a situation worse. If not done correctly, it can actually
promote prejudices and stereotypes instead of teaching people how to work well
with others from another background.
People begin to be seen by their culture instead of their
individuality. The article, which is
titled “<i>Diversity Training Doesn’t Work</i>”
goes on to suggest that instead of cross-cultural training and diversity
session, corporations promote communication training as an alternative and
teach employees how to listen and speak with each other as people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My recommendation falls in line with HBR’s suggestion. Communicate.
Talk to other people. Go out in
the world deliberately to meet new people and talk with them. Chances are you will find it immensely interesting
and rewarding as you travel the world simply to have a conversation. Whether you are a student, a professional or
recently retired, consider participating in some sort of international exchange
program or internship. You are
guaranteed to learn at least a little bit about a certain skill and a lot about
what makes people and their cultural backgrounds unique. These unique
experiences will prepare you well for the globalized workplace no matter what
industry you pursue.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://knowledge.asb.unsw.edu.au/article.cfm?articleid=1417"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://knowledge.asb.unsw.edu.au/article.cfm?articleid=1417</span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/The-rise-of-the-global-employee---when-host-countr-pd20110608-HLSPQ?OpenDocument&src=sph"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/The-rise-of-the-global-employee---when-host-countr-pd20110608-HLSPQ?OpenDocument&src=sph</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2012/03/diversity-training-doesnt-work.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2012/03/diversity-training-doesnt-work.html</span></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies</span></a></div>
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-52062694557379266232012-03-27T06:20:00.000-07:002012-03-27T06:33:05.886-07:00Socks… check. Toothbrush… check. Non-Immigrant Type B Work Visa… check.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aside from the typical stuff you cram into your suitcase
such as shirts, shoes, clean underwear and a picture of Mr. Snickers, your
beloved family pet, preparing for an extended vacation can be a bit
overwhelming. You have to figure out a
way to pack four months worth of your personal belongings which is essentially
your entire life into a suitcase that cannot exceed 60 lbs or whatever your
airline sets as a restriction. Chances
are you are going to struggle with the zipper when it finally comes time to try
to close the darn thing. You may even
resort to sitting on the top in a vain effort to make the contents magically
decrease in size. I will admit, I have
resorted to this tactic more than once and my abused luggage is proof. You may eventually breakdown and relent to
packing a second bag even though the airline is going to charge you an
exorbitant fee for doing so. Don’t they
understand that shoes alone can take up an entire bag? Do they really intend to deprive your feet of
comfortable and stylish footwear? Yes,
yes they do.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that isn’t even the overwhelming part because you aren’t
just going on a vacation. You signed up
for an international internship in Thailand where you will be working in a Thai
school as an ESL educational assistant for the next four months. And therefore, all your personal items
actually rank low on the list of priorities when it comes to ensuring that you
have everything you are going to need for your trip. Sorry Mr. Snickers.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether you have actually signed up for an internship or
not, the following information applies to anyone who plans to travel
internationally for longer than three weeks.
Hopefully, your travel agent or tour company will be helping you with
the logistics of it all since it can be confusing for a first time traveller.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pre-Departure
Preparation:</span></u></b></span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Read
the <a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/ctry/reportpage-en.asp">Travel Report</a>
for your host country, available on the Foreign Affairs & International
Trade Canada website. Check it often to stay aware of any potential
issues that may arise while travelling.</span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Consider
<a href="https://www.voyage2.gc.ca/Registration_inscription/Register_Inscrire/Login_ouvrir-une-session-eng.aspx?fwd=true&hash=p0V4sJhYtXNnDsAOImpW8w6161">registering</a>
with the Canadian government before you travel abroad. The Canadian government offers this service
in order that they may contact you and assist you in an emergency should it
arise while you are in a foreign country, i.e. a natural disaster or a family
emergency.</span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Carry a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/faq/passports_passeports-eng.asp">Canadian
passport</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>that is
valid well beyond the date of your anticipated return to Canada; keep a copy of
the identification page separate from the original. This is perhaps your most important piece of
identification. A passport is the only
reliable and universally accepted identification document that proves your
right to re-enter your home country.<br /><o:p></o:p></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Obtain any<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/preparation_information/visas-eng.asp">required
visas</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>well in
advance. The type of visa required will
vary greatly upon your destination, length of visit and the type of travel you
are participating in be it leisure or work related so be sure to check with the
consulate if you have any concerns.<br /><o:p></o:p></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>If<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.travel.gc.ca/child">travelling with children</a>, carry
documentation proving your right to accompany them (e.g., a consent letter or
court order).<br /><o:p></o:p></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Arrange for<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/publications/bon-voyage-eng.asp#insure">supplemental
travel health insurance</a>.
This is required by many travel companies as a prerequisite for
participating in their program if your trip extends beyond a certain time
frame. Your current health insurance may
not cover you outside of the country.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Leave copies of your passport identification page, itinerary, and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/faq/insurance_assurance-eng.asp">insurance
policy</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>with
friends or family.<br /><o:p></o:p></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/faq/financial-assistance-financiere-eng.asp">Anticipate
financial needs</a>, such as local currency, visa fees, within country transit costs,
baggage fees, and departure tax.<br /><o:p></o:p></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Check to see if any special electrical adaptors are required in
order to use your electrical devices.<br /><o:p></o:p></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/publications/well-way_bon-depart-eng.asp">Take
care of health needs</a>: vaccinations, prescriptions, medical certificates, supplies,
extra eyeglasses. Take extra care to
document and pack any prescriptions to avoid hassle at customs. Be sure to check with airlines to know what
you can and cannot pack in your carry-on.<br /><o:p></o:p></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Check whether<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/faq/dual-nationality_double-nationalite-eng.asp">dual
citizenship</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is an
issue for you.<br /><o:p></o:p></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Carry an<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/clf2/images/pubs/ECC_FULL.jpg">Emergency
Contact Card</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>with
the coordinates of the nearest Canadian government office in your destination
country. This should be kept on your
person at all times while travelling abroad.<br /><o:p></o:p></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Obtain an<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/faq/driving_conduire-eng.asp">International
Driving Permit</a>, if required.<br /><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Traveling with an
Agency:</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have arranged your program through a travel company,
insure you also know any additional requirement for your trip. With a service such as <a href="http://www.english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies">International Career
Studies</a>, you will also want to make sure you have the following
information:</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Arrangements
for airport pick-up service.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Name
of your in-country contact and program coordinator.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Emergency
contact numbers for your program representative.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Where
you will be staying for the first two nights during orientation and your
subsequent accommodations once you settle into your program routine.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">□ </span>Internship
placement information regarding where you will be working, manager’s name, your
job title, responsibilities, professional dress requirements.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have any further questions about preparing for your
trip abroad, feel free to contact the International Career Studies for tips and
travel help or check out the <a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/faq/menu-eng">FAQ</a>
section on the Canadian government’s website.</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/ctry/reportpage-en.asp">http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/ctry/reportpage-en.asp</a></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/preparation_information/menu-eng">http://www.voyage.gc.ca/preparation_information/menu-eng</a></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/faq/menu-eng">http://www.voyage.gc.ca/faq/menu-eng</a></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><a href="http://www.english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies</span></span></a><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
</div>
Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-3651221792713326432012-03-20T05:34:00.002-07:002012-03-21T05:29:05.841-07:00Your Résumé: The Translated Version<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other than your tax return, your résumé is probably one of the most important and time consuming documents that you will ever write. You carefully analyze your word choice to ensure that it conveys the correct meaning and frames you in the best light. You list your skills, your experience and your education. You delete, you tweak, you move things around until you are satisfied. Then you have someone else edit it and repeat the process. The final document consists of precisely chosen verbiage representing everything you have done in your life that would make the company want to hire you. At least you hope. You sit by the phone and wait for a call.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The process sounds familiar. Everyone from the 16 year old high school student to the 55 year old who is considering retirement has written a résumé at one point in their life. We’ve all applied for jobs and understand that an excellent résumé is key to getting that interview and getting a foot in the door of the company you want to work for.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what is the company you want to work for isn’t local? What if it is global?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your résumé is still important and you are likely to go through all the same steps that you would normally go through when applying for a local job. But the rules have changed. <i>Dun dun dun</i>. (Cue the menacing death march music). All of a sudden you are competing against other individuals that probably have a similar work or educational background (which is typical) but more importantly is that these people are probably local to the company. If the company is in Thailand, then the fact that they already know the language, know the culture, are familiar with the people, best business practices, customs and all sorts of other affairs naturally makes them more suitable for the job at hand because they <i>are</i> the people that the business is going to be targeting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So other than taking some extremely intensive Thai language lessons and Googling how to build a résumé that won’t completely throw the HR department for a loop, making them wonder what on earth you were thinking, what do you need to do to ensure that your application doesn’t just get a few chuckles and then end up on the top of the pile of office memos bound for the paper shredder/incinerator?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well first, you do need to do some serious research about how to act <b>professional</b>. You may think that professional courtesy is universal but with that mind frame you are definitely not going to get a call back. What is professional in one country might be unprofessional in another. Some cultures value getting right down to business while in others, it is expected to spend the first few minutes asking about each other’s personal life. When accepting another person’s business card, never put it directly in your pocket or handbag or what have you in a casual manner that in America, wouldn’t get a second thought. In fact, when interacting with someone of Asian descent, it is customary to accept the business card with two hands, examine it carefully before placing it in a hard cover folder of some sort to ensure that it does not get crushed. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, you must demonstrate your <b>professional personality</b>. If they are going to go through the trouble of contacting an international job applicant, they are going to want to know what to expect from you in a professional setting personality-wise. Are you going to clam up? Are you often nervous? Do you approach problems with a cool and collective mindset? Do you stay goal orientated? Can you resolve conflict before it gets blown out of proportion? These are all assets that you are going to have to figure out a way to sneak into your résumé with your choice of wording.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probably the most important thing to do when applying for a job outside of your locale is to know how to <b>sell your cross cultural skills</b>. Do you speak a second language? Have you spent time working with teams of culturally diverse people? Can you put yourself in the shoes of a minority group to assess what sorts of needs they have that could be addressed? You need to let potential employers know of any unique experiences that you have had that would benefit their company. It is a good idea to mention things such as cross cultural work experience, whether you have a positive attitude with new work environments, project successes that focused on multicultural customer segments, volunteer experiences abroad, facility with respect to picking up new languages, travel experience, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">International internships, if you have done any, are a great thing to highlight. And if you already speak a second language, even if it is not their own, you should still mention it as it demonstrates your ability to focus on a complicated task and see it through to the end.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If working internationally is something you would like to do down the road but are not quite sure what you want to do quite yet (after all it can mean a really big move complete with enormous shipping crates and insurmountable rolls of bubble wrap), consider looking into acquiring some of the above mentioned cross cultural skills so that when the time comes, you are prepared. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever wanted to work internationally? What is holding you back?</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0609/international_resumes.shtml"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0609/international_resumes.shtml</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies">http://www.english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies</a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.black-collegian.com/international/global_resumes_0706.htm">http://www.black-collegian.com/international/global_resumes_0706.htm</a> </span><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-86420356727858210572012-03-13T05:34:00.000-07:002012-03-13T05:34:04.714-07:00Je ne parle pas le français... o español<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, so the title of this blog post might be a little confusing since in essence I am saying that I don’t speak French or Spanish in French and Spanish. My secret? About two years of high school French and the Google Translate web tool. I figure being able to tell people I don’t speak their language is one of the first things in any language I should learn how to say just so that I am covered no matter where I travel. Genius no?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Why am I writing about languages today?</b> Well, for the first and rather obvious reason is that this is a travel/education blog and language falls into both of those categories. As much as we North Americans would like to believe that English is the dominant language everywhere in the world, we are quite often largely mistaken. Yes, it is true that many larger tourist destinations will have some form of communication set up to cater to their English speaking guests but when you crunch the numbers, English is not the language with the highest number of first-language speakers on this planet. In fact, it isn’t even the second. It actually ranks third behind Mandarin Chinese and Spanish according to <a href="http://www.ethnologue.org/ethno_docs/distribution.asp?by=size#3">Ethnologue Languages of the World</a>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is obvious that learning a second language can be beneficial when travelling. Heck, picking up a common <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Lonely-Planet-Mandarin-Phrasebook-7th-Lonely-Planet-Phrasebooks/9781742200880-item.html?ikwid=mandarin&ikwsec=Home">phrase book from your local Chapters.Indigo.ca</a> would be more than useful though you are going to look like a complete tourist as you walk around with your nose buried in your phrase book hopelessly trying to ask for directions back to your hotel.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people enjoy learning a new language just because the study of languages interests them. A 20 year old Oxford student named Alex Rawlings from the U.K. explains in this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55_G66g02QU">video</a> how he became interested in learning new languages and eventually became fluent in eleven of them including Spanish, English, Greek and Russian. Learning Arabic is next on his list. Apparently is becomes easier over time and though I completely believe him, I am not worried about the ease at which I will learn language #12. I am worried about the hassle that learning language #2 is going to be.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’ll notice though that many of the languages that Rowlings learned first were languages that he was surrounded with and got to practice on a daily basis. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many people find it easier to pick up a language when they are forced to practice it on a daily basis. High school students frequently choose to participate in a language exchange program because it is an exciting way to learn a new language at a much faster pace than they could in the classroom. But why do schools encourage students and offer incentives to those that choose to do exchange programs and take a second language all throughout high school instead of just for the first year which is often mandatory?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This question brings me to the second reason why I am writing about languages today.</b> Schools recognize that having a second language is extremely valuable to students as they mature and pursue a career. Having a second language often opens up a variety of job positions that list multiple languages a requirement. But why would a company want its employees to be able to communicate in multiple languages? Globalization. I’ve posted a few blogs in the past [ <a href="http://internationalcareerstudies360.blogspot.com/2012/01/youre-job-might-not-be-overseas-but.html">here</a> and <a href="http://internationalcareerstudies360.blogspot.com/2012/01/internationally-diverse-employees-are.html">here</a> ] that talk about this subject that you are free to refer to so that I won’t have to go in depth on the matter but the gist of it is that the workplace no longer fits in a neat little, local box. Your suppliers, your partners, and your clients are all from diverse international backgrounds and it is important for a business to be able to communicate effectively and efficiently across all channels without having to use a third party. Because as convenient as Google Translate is at times, its Mandarin and Thai leave a lot to be desired.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having a second, third or fourth language makes you incredibly more valuable to an employer that is thinking on an international scale. And even if they are not, having another language listed on your résumé communicates to employers that you have the dedicated work ethic and focus needed to learn a new language which favourably translates over into other aspects of your work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Leading back up to the first point, learning a new language is easiest when</b> you can practice on a daily basis and easier still if you can interact with people who also speak it fluently. People who travel frequently often pick up bits of a language faster than others because their level of exposure is higher. If you are serious about learning a new language, consider ditching the phrase book and participate in an international internship or exchange program. Your age does not matter as there are a <a href="http://www.english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies">variety of programs</a> out there that are not associated with any schools and are therefore open for anyone to participate in. These programs range from 1 to 8 week educational travel programs and 3 to 12 month internships with many choices for combining and strengthening the language component in order to earn an individual certificate of completion.</span><br />
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-14839487447491199232012-03-06T05:53:00.000-08:002012-03-06T05:53:44.993-08:00A Logical Excuse to Participate in Edutourism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You have sold your soul to your company for the past six years and the ten vacation days that you were originally granted has been boosted up to fifteen in exchange for your continued loyalty (and your first born child). You do the math and quickly realize that fifteen days basically amounts to three weeks as long as you include the weekends. You haven’t had that much time off since Christmas vacation your final week of university! You start to get excited. Three entire weeks basking in the warm glow of the sun down on some beach in the middle of nowhere, far away from cell towers, internet connection, your e-mail inbox and the lady in your office that wears too much perfume sounds divine. You just go on Expedia, book your trip and in no time at all you are sitting on that pristine beach (with about 5000 other tourists), enjoying the scent of the tropical breeze (and that big guy’s coconut suntan oil on your right) listening to absolutely nothing but the soothing waves against the shore (and the frat boys to your left shouting “chug, chug chug”). All that aside, sitting back in a lawn chair is actually quite relaxing. Until you get to day three and realize you are bored out of your mind and burnt to a crisp. Maybe you should ask that big guy if you can borrow his suntan lotion...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now before you go and do the rational thing like splitting up for vacation time into three different getaways and booking your hotel during hurricane season to avoid the crowds, consider another equally rational option. Edutourism.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My <a href="http://internationalcareerstudies360.blogspot.com/2012/02/edu-what.html" target="_blank">last post</a> attempted to explain the new concept of what edutourism is exactly so I encourage you to go back and take a quick look at it so that you are all up to speed. I’ll wait right here.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back? Perfect. Moving on. Edutourism experiences can range anywhere from one to four weeks depending on your specific program but the reason I bring it up is because these informal learning programs are perfect to keep you A-type personalities busy during your vacation. I don’t mean <i>run you off your feet</i> busy, but adequately involved in the culture and local surroundings of your destination so that the boredom doesn’t sink in after three days of doing absolutely nothing but shaking sand out of your <s>underwear</s> towel.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Benefits for Your Vacation Experience<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve probably mentioned most of these already but I will quickly recap just because I think they are worth mentioning and are probably some of the more convincing reasons to participate in edutourism.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Whether it is informal or formal learning, edutourism programs are a stimulating alternative to sitting on a lawn chair that will keep your mind occupied and your body moving.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Many tourists come, they see and they go. If you are going to travel abroad, you should make the most of the opportunity to take something more out of your trip beyond some nice photos. Your destination is going to offer up a whole new culture and perspective for you to explore and the best way to experience this is to actually become involved with the people.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Learning a new skill such as silk weaving, glass blowing, cigar rolling or any other is going to provide you with a unique vacation experience that you can brag about when you get back to reality. And let’s face it, if we are going to take three weeks of vacation, we had better come back with a better story than “the resort was so beautiful”.</span></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Benefits for the Destination Country</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe you aren’t really into the idea of edutourism for the “learning” part of the available programs but you are interested in what edutourism can actually provide for the region itself. Few tourists are actually aware of the high impact that their vacation has on the economy and development of a particular location. There are a few countries that base their economy heavily upon the revenue brought in by tourism. But at the same time, these countries suffer because they are losing what makes them culturally unique as they seek to provide “westerners” with all the comforts of home and must conform their societal structure to be more accommodating and familiar. Listed below are some of the ways that edutourism benefits the country.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Attracts a wide base of consumers who are less satisfied with “package” vacations</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Has the potential to create a socially and economically sustainable tourism product that benefits both the region and its visitors.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Edutourism can help rejuvenate tourism throughout the world, celebrating cultures and the intermingling of residents and visitors.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">It can provide great support for preservation and conversation of the local environment and culture and provide more meaningful opportunities for residents and visitors.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Once of the most obvious benefits of edutourism is the sustainability aspect of it in that the local population is being more actively involved in the direct and indirect benefits of tourism.</span></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Benefits for Your Career & Resume<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hold the phone. I can’t be serious. How does a vacation look good on a resume? Well, to be specific, a vacation doesn’t but an edutourism program quite possibly could. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Choose an edutourism program that relates to your career.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Are you in the fashion industry? Learning to weave silk in Thailand could be a differentiating and noteworthy experience to put on your resume.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Or if you are in into sports journalism, travelling to Cuba to play baseball might also spark some interest from potential employers.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">International perspective is always a good thing to weave into your resume. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">With the marketplace expanding to encompass the entire globe, employers often want proof that you will be able to adapt if you are put in a situation where you have to interact with a different culture.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Demonstrating that you were fully engaged in Japanese culture for three weeks while completing an in depth tour of temples, shrines and symbolic gardens proves that you have an interest in broadening your horizons and understanding of another peoples’ heritage.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">And at the very least, put your edutourism experience under you list of skills and interests and it will make for a good conversation piece during your next interview.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Everyone puts that they love to travel, read, play sports, etc.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">You toss Elephant Mahout in there and people are going to take a second glance just to make sure they did not misread that.</span></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.edutourismconference.org/whatisedutourism.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.edutourismconference.org/whatisedutourism.html</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.english360.ca/edutourism"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.english360.ca/edutourism</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://entplanet.blogspot.com/2010/11/edutourism.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://entplanet.blogspot.com/2010/11/edutourism.html</span></a></span></div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-45755837271557416972012-02-28T08:44:00.003-08:002012-07-09T08:02:40.230-07:00Edu-What?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/ICS_Melissa"><span style="color: blue;">Twitter</span></a> or have bothered to check out my <a href="http://www.english360.ca/internationalcareerstudies"><span style="color: blue;">company’s website</span></a>, then you have probably noticed that I toss the term “edutourism” around quite frequently. No, it is not a spelling error that I keep making over and over again thank-you- very-much Microsoft spellchecker so you can put away your little red squiggly line that I find rude and obnoxious every time I type out my middle name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Edutourism” was born through a quirk of marketing activity. Having developed a new kind of travel program, and failing to find a word that currently existed in the Webster dictionary to describe it, “edutourism” was invented. A basic definition of edutourism is when someone travels to a unique location for the purpose of formal or informal learning. If Webster was to pick up this new word though, I imagine the entry would look something like this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edutourism - <span class="prondelim"><span style="background-color: white;">[</span></span><span class="pron"><span style="background-color: white;">ej-</span></span><span class="ital-inline"><i><span style="background-color: white;">oo</span></i><span style="background-color: white;">-</span></span><span class="boldface"><b><span style="background-color: white;">t</span></b></span><span class="ital-inline"><b><i><span style="background-color: white;">oo</span></i></b></span><span class="boldface"><b><span style="background-color: white;">r</span></b></span><span style="background-color: white;">-iz-<span class="ital-inline"><i>uh</i></span>m]<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Derived from the Latin word </span><i><span style="background-color: white;">ēducātiōn </span></i><span style="background-color: white;">from which English gets its’ word for <i>education</i> and the combination of the Greek word <i>tómos</i> meaning circle from which comes the word <i>tour</i> and Greek suffix <i>–ism</i> which when used with a noun denotes an action, <i>edu-tour-ism</i> is the action of travelling with the intended purpose of learning a new skill or engaging in an activity that is otherwise unfamiliar with the goal of gaining educational and cultural insight into the occupation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And for those of you who do not enjoy etymology (the study of words), here is the Urban dictionary definition:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edutourism - <span class="prondelim"><span style="background-color: white;">[</span></span><span class="pron"><span style="background-color: white;">ej-</span></span><span class="ital-inline"><i><span style="background-color: white;">oo</span></i><span style="background-color: white;">-</span></span><span class="boldface"><b><span style="background-color: white;">t</span></b></span><span class="ital-inline"><b><i><span style="background-color: white;">oo</span></i></b></span><span class="boldface"><b><span style="background-color: white;">r</span></b></span><span style="background-color: white;">-iz-<span class="ital-inline"><i>uh</i></span>m]<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The act of being a tourist and actually learning something about a skill or activity found locally in your destination instead of walking around completely oblivious to the culture that surrounds you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Examples of Edutourism<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">ecotourism</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">agricultural tourism</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">medical tourism</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">cultural/historic tours</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">language courses</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">culinary training</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">short/long term academic programs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">internships</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">courses, conferences, seminars, colloquiums</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">sabbaticals or employee exchanges</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">sports tourism</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">special interest tours</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edutourism, though it sounds similar to “ecotourism” is actually quite different since people who choose one type of travel program over the other have very different outcomes in mind. Ecotourism focuses on travelling in a green conscious manner in order to enjoy the scenery and landscape while leaving behind the lowest ecological footprint possible. Edutourism, while it can involved ecotourism, is all about engaging in the local culture and activities. It is about travelling abroad in order to gain new skills and insights. Instead of being a passive observer with a camera ready to take snap shots of whatever happens to come along, edutourism is about digging in and getting your hands dirty metaphorically and literally speaking to create photo worthy moments that you can remember for all times as you go back home and proudly demonstrate to your friends and family just how to do the “crane” as part of the water ballet routine you learn while down in Cuba alongside professional synchronized swimmers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, since it is a made up word that has yet to entirely catch on (I think I am the only one who uses it frequently and my efforts to make it a trending topic on Twitter failed miserably) there are very few <a href="http://www.english360.ca/edutourism"><span style="color: blue;">travel companies</span></a> that offer edutourism programs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But for those companies that do, here is what you can expect.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Choose your destination. Destinations can be anywhere in the world that you were already planning on visiting so it isn’t like you are going to have to make a special, unplanned trip to participate.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Choose the skill you would like to learn.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Skills vary by country and typically feature activities that are local to that area such as silk making in Thailand, porcelain making in Japan and mixed drink artist in Cuba.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Choose your program length.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">You need to spend at least a week completing your program as most programs go deep into the cultural traditions and history behind the skill that you are learning.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">In Thailand for example, you won’t just make the silk, you will learn how the silk worm hatcheries work, how the material is harvested, dyed, woven and then sewn into elaborate kimonos.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Expect to spend the first few days in your destination country learning some of the language basics just so that you will be able to get around the country without too much trouble and random hand gestures.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">And do expect some down time where you will get to play the role of tourist.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Edutourism programs are designed to allow you plenty of opportunity to be a tourist and engage in the local customs, culture, eat the local cuisine, meet the people and relax.</span></li>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What types of edutourism programs would you be interested in participating in?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever participated in a similar program?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d love to hear about your experiences so drop me a comment.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We might get “edutourism” into the Webster dictionary after all.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.edutourismconference.org/whatisedutourism.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.edutourismconference.org/whatisedutourism.html</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.english360.ca/edutourism"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.english360.ca/edutourism</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://entplanet.blogspot.com/2010/11/edutourism.html">http://entplanet.blogspot.com/2010/11/edutourism.html</a></span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>[ Edited: "Edutourism" has officially been added to the Urban Dictionary. The definition for edutourism can now be found here: <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=edutourism" style="background-color: white;">http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=edutourism</a> ]</i></span></div>
</div>Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182419344170036518.post-55400784549266715032012-02-21T05:50:00.000-08:002012-09-21T13:29:14.185-07:00You’re Retired, Now What?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Building off my previous post entitled “</span><a href="http://internationalcareerstudies360.blogspot.com/2012/02/boomers-are-getting-schooled.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boomers are Getting Schooled</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">” which talked about why some active boomers are not settling into retirement and their walkers right away, I’d like to talk about some of the preferences that these adults have when considering an active and engaging lifestyle. And it is not all about travel and keeping oneself entertained while fighting off society’s push to put you on the bench. Older adults are changing the face of adult education as they go back to school and as they seek to be engaged. And just as any confident adult, these </span><s style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">stubborn</s><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> strong-willed boomers know what they want and they are not about to settle.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To Recap: What Motivates Boomers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Borrowing from another <a href="http://internationalcareerstudies360.blogspot.com/2012/02/gaps-years-for-everyone-part-1.html">entry</a>, I will quickly recap the motivation that most people have to pursuing further education within their industry, beyond their career or even into their retirement years and what is probably (in my limited perspective at least) going through their heads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Burnout – Another stress filled day at work... and I get to do the same tomorrow. Yay?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Excess & Affluence – Am I really putting all that I have to good use?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Sensory Overload – I need to take a step back and get some perspective.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Depression & Trauma – I don’t want to die without ever having experienced...</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">“Danger Age” – When did I get old and how do I make it stop?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Freedom from Responsibilities – The kids have moved out; I can finally have a life.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Turning Fifty – My life is half over and what have I got to show for it?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Retirement – I’ve got way too much time on my hands.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what are these people motivated to do? Well, I’ve already answered that a few times but just to be clear: they want to do something, anything that will convince themselves and the people around them that they are not yet dead in the ground. They want to learn. They want to try something new. And it just can’t be any ol’ “something”. It has to be exciting and something they never would have had the courage to try before. And it had better be stimulating. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facts about Lifelong Learners: Their Preferences<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some adults actually choose to literally go back to school in order to learn and branch out. Of the 16 million college students in Canada, over half a million of these students are over the age of 50 (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006). For you younger generations, that means that for every 32 students in your college business class, there is probably going to be one “older” person sitting at the front asking a lot of questions. (I’d highly recommend sitting next to this person as they probably study the most, take impeccable notes, and being associated with them will automatically put you in your professor’s “good” book). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And all this does not even take into consideration the number of lifelong learners who are enrolled in non-credit and other lifelong learning courses sponsored by adult education programs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Older students going back to school in pursuit of lifelong learning typically have a preference for:</span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">community or junior colleges, where 50 percent attend, because of the convenience and outreach programs</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">intergenerational classes, where they can learn from younger students and share their knowledge with them</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">avoiding programs targeted at senior citizens and older adults. They prefer lifelong learners or third generation learners, because it implies continual learning</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">classes offered on main campus or branch campuses. However, there is an increasing number who prefer online courses because they are comfortable with technology</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">programs such as health services, teacher education, fine arts/humanities, human service and counselling, and entrepreneurship. They also enrol in both credit and non-credit continuing education courses.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Courtesy of David R. Wetzel. [2005] Why Older Adults are Going Back to School. Continuing Education Suite 101. </span></i><a href="http://david-r-wetzel.suite101.com/why-older-adults-are-going-back-to-school-a266406"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">http://david-r-wetzel.suite101.com/why-older-adults-are-going-back-to-school-a266406</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your Options<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going back to school is not the only way that lifelong learners can feel more engaged with life. The 50+ crowd makes up a good percentage of the global population (you boomers are all advertisers talk about these days). So it makes sense that in the past decade or so, thousands of programs have sprung up specifically tailored to make active retirees feel like they are still on the ‘up and up’ and haven’t been put on that aforementioned bench or back burner or whatever you want to call it. Below is a list of some of the more popular options and links to programs that you might consider looking into as they all cater to mature demographics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Go Back to School</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://ce-online.ryerson.ca/ce/default.aspx?id=2996&gclid=COjxtubDpa4CFRQUKgod5HO3UA">Ryerson University</a> </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.georgebrown.ca/orientation/college_mature_guide.aspx"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">George Brown College</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.toronto.ca/socialservices/education.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">City of Toronto</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.internationalcareerstudies.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ICS Internships/Apprenticeships</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Volunteer</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.oasisnet.org/">OASIS</a> </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/residents/volunteer"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">City of Mississauga</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Work Part-Time</b> </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.workless-livemore.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Work Less, Live More</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.internationalcareerstudies.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ICS Work Abroad</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://askville.amazon.com/semi-retirement/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=6932574"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Askville</span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Travel <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.internationalcareerstudies.com/edutourism"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ICS Edutourism</span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.itravel2000.com/HomePage.aspx"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">iTravel2000</span></a></span></div>
Mel.360http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827234433953895603noreply@blogger.com0