Day 12 - Traveling Home
Each student choose one journal entry to share as they reflected on the trip (In no particular order)
Max I:
I have learned many a few things about Central Asia during my trip so far. One of the biggest parts has been the shift (in comparison to America) towards community rather than individuality. Similar to the strong aspect of community described by the Uyghur individual, the village where people did not really hesitate to do things with others, even if they did not know them, or simply the warm hospitality we have felt everywhere. I feel like this is an aspect of life that is more or less scant in the American culture I have experienced thus far, and one I would love to add to my own life.
Jack S:
I’ve learned that I should learn new languages. I’m also now motivated to do so. This trip has been especially difficult sometimes since I don’t know Russian or Kazakh so I haven’t always been comfortable. I know that I want to keep exploring the world and to do that, I need to improve my language skills. From Japan to Germany, I want to have some parts of each language nailed down for the places I visit. For me, I want to expand my horizons and from what I’ve learned on this incredible trip, being able to speak a local language is a valuable tool. There’s such a barrier and I hope to break it in the future.
Justin L:
Takeaways
-Hospitable and accommodating country. Everyone here feels like they will genuinely help you out if needed, especially with the story Ms. Bocquin told me about the emo kid carrying the stroller up the stairs for the mother.
-Very diverse population. The city has people from all over the world and of all ethnicities, either from circumstance or choice. It reminds me of LA with how diverse the demographic is.
-Very young city. It feels like everything is mostly catered to young people with ample nightlife and trendy cafes, etc. There are also a lot of child support opportunities in the city with schools, daycare, etc.
Celine C:
Takeaways
1. Their lives are still influenced by the Soviet Union even though they became independent.
-Schools here still use the Russian grading system.
-A lot of the russian style architecture are still standing (the ones built before independence) and not teared down.
-Russian is the dominant language even though it should be Kazakh.
2. Their lives are a lot less complicated.
-The kids here go to school without a whole ton of pressure - no pressure for college (not as competitive)
-They dedicate a lot time for family - a lot of education centers and playgrounds.
3. It is a lot more safer here compared to the U.S (similar to Japan).
-I see kids on the streets by themselves with no worries.
-Everything is more secure - security at the metro station and university.
-There is a lot less homeless on the streets - I’ve only seen one the whole trip.
Jasper M:
Something hard for me this trip was regeering my natural instinct to believe that the way we do things in the US are better than how things work here. For example, while perusing the handful of T.V. programs offered at the Astana International Hotel, I came across a Chinese news network covering global events in English. In all of the stories, the channel found a way to praise China as a country in some form. Even though this seemed like blatant propaganda to me, which made me think that our news was “better”, it made me consider what type of “blatant propaganda” I am fed on a daily basis.
Ryan:
I thought it was interesting how there is such a strong sharing culture here + strong influence from the USSR. Ms. Bocquin told a story that a store stopped selling peanut butter because it was too much work to restock - in contrast to the US, where they would bulk up more to maximize profit. I also thought it was interesting that people will be comfortable asking neighbors for sugar + giving up seats or otherwise helping strangers. On the other hand, I’ve also learned that many people feel discriminated against - whether it be religion, race, language, etc. and that there’s a lot of domestic abuse.
Jerry F:
My journey to Tien Shan school has been nothing short of exhilarating. Man from arriving in our bus on the dirt road to meeting new people and playing basketball / volleyball, I had so much fun. Man today was INSANE! I learned so much, eye opened so much and just had a lot of fun! The view was sooo crazy and I got to know soo many people. Even though we are so far from home, the students here are not much different to us. I can still remember the smiles on the student’s faces and Daniel inviting me to his business math class. Walking into a room of Korean learners. The beautiful mountains. I want to end off by saving I LOVED DUNKING ON EM!!!
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