[nabs-l] Studying abroad: tips and tricks.

Arielle Silverman arielle71 at gmail.com
Mon Sep 29 21:54:32 UTC 2014


Hi Kaiti,
I have not been to the West Indies; however, I went on a ten-day
college trip to Israel, which as you probably know, can be dangerous
at times. Our group was heavily staffed and I experienced no problems.
I have also been to Romania and Hungary and encountered some
over-helpful people but nobody whose attitudes about blindness caused
me problems. Have fun!
Arielle

On 9/29/14, Carly Mihalakis via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Good morning, Kaiti,
>
> You lucky duck, you!
>
> I don't think for all the reasons you stated that you will have
> problems being hurt, or robbed. your experience in Jamaica will be
> memerable and it is not for those reasons.
>
> A few years ago, I met this Jamaican guy in downtown Denver and fell
> in love with patois. Unfortunately, I lost track of Edwin, but at the
> Denver main library I checked out all this print material which I
> scanned, and read, myself. Yes, Christianaty is definitely a
> structural presence of a Jamaican identity and, being that it is so
> structural, unlike ornamental Christians you might find here, I don't
> think you'll encounter too much of the things you named about
> previous experience with Christians. But then, you might be intrigued
> by presences of Mama Afrika you might see within culture, and
> tradition, if not to say spirituality?
> Personally, something that has always intrigued me is how
> Christianity as well as other influences are blended with old Afrikan
> presences to form West Indian culture. You might wanna read about the
> history of the Jamaican experience to better place your own
> experiences and other findings into a certain context? Personally, I
> really get off on knowing a historical context, and how my findings
> of a group is influenced by history, and culture.
>
> I would love to be treated via a 2nd hand, of your Jamaican
> experiences! would love to hear of how blind people are regarded
> within such a society. Will you write to me if you find time/resources?
> call: 408-209-3239
> for today, Car 9/28/2014, Kaiti Shelton via nabs-l wrote:
>>Hi all,
>>
>>I have applied for a ten-day study abroad service project to take
>>place in June of 2015.  If selected to be a part of this program, I
>>will travel to Boston Bay Jamaica and use my music therapy training to
>>work with special needs school children, patients at an infirmary on
>>the geriatric and psychiatric wards, and in a homeless shelter.  It
>>would be a great experience for me, both personally and
>>professionally.
>>
>>I'm trying not to be too optimistic, but I think I have a fair shot of
>>getting in.  The interview portion of my application process went
>>really well, and I've met all other requirements.  I've already
>>discussed accessibility for the course materials and things like
>>safety with the program's director, and he seems more than willing to
>>accommodate with electronic materials and some extra orientation if I
>>need it when I'm at the site.  He told me that all that is left is for
>>my professor to give her approval, and she's already told me that she
>>thinks this would be great for me and that I have her support.  So,
>>all signs look pretty good.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that
>>everything panns out as expected.
>>
>>I am now curious as to how others on this list have studied abroad.  I
>>realize my situation is a little different because it's short term and
>>experiential rather than class work, but there are still aspects of
>>the experience I am wondering about.  For example, how did you raise
>>the funds to go if that was an issue for you?  How were you received
>>in the airport of the country you visitted?  What was it like in the
>>country you visitted when locals saw you/talked to you?
>>
>>I have limitted travel experience.  My first plane ride was to the
>>2012 National Convention, and although I navigated both airports like
>>a champ and had no problems, I've never had to deal with customs or a
>>foreign airport before.  I also can't find anything about how
>>Jamaicans view people with disabilities.  I know that Jamaica is a
>>very religious country, and that Christianity is the prominent
>>religion, but I've had people from various sects of Christianity do
>>everything from claiming I was blind because some demon punished me or
>>my mother, and others who just acknowledged it for what it was-a
>>genetic or physical thing without religious affiliation, and that's
>>just in the U.S.  In my research I've also learned about the crime in
>>Jamaica, and am a little worried about being an easy target.  The
>>program I would be a part of is very well-staffed, and I would never
>>be out of the enclosed living area without a staff member to chaperone
>>me.  The program also has a 100% track record in ten years for
>>students returning home unharmed and with all their belongings, and
>>the program's director told me that we'll be in a pretty safe area
>>since we'll be in the countryside with local farmers and fishermen who
>>know what the students are doing and don't want to bite the hands that
>>feed them persay, rather than by the resorts where tourists are taken
>>advantage of frequently.  Nevertheless, I want to do everything I can
>>to ensure that I am safe if I end up going abroad.  I want to remember
>>the trip for the good things and the learning, not for getting hurt or
>>losing something valuable.  What extra measures would you experienced
>>study abroad students advise I take if selected to go?  Any
>>suggestions are welcome, especially if anyone has done study abroad or
>>service work in the West Indies before.
>>
>>--
>>Kaiti
>>
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