Headlines/Oct. 28, 1992 Travel overseas broadens horizons Leah Sjolie is the International Ed. secretary. Here is her account of her trip to Japan.. The island nation of Japan has always fascinated me with its long history and unique culture. It always struck me as a place completely different in beliefs, principles, ideals and standards. That’s why I was thrilled when I was chosen to spend two months there through the Youth Exchange program. I learned about all the things I had read about: the tea ceremony, kendo, bunraku, chopsticks, and sushi. I also learned about their deep sense of honour, and how enormous their respect 1s for Canadians. Never have I encountered a group of people more generous and kind. I benefitted from this exchange in many ways. I came to understand how important it is that we learn about other countries and cultures, not just for the cultural exchange, but for international goodwill. Understanding could very well be the solution to prejudice. One of the biggest personal benefits of an exchange is that you are forced to be open-minded. Things are not “weird” or “strange”, they are different and often worth trying (I found this to be especially true with the Japanese public bath). Sleeping on the floor and eating raw squid never hurt anybody. In this respect, my outlook changed a lot. I am definitely a more globally aware person. In addition, international exchanges are an excellent opportunity to meet new people. The ties of friendship and family that I made are very strong and the knowledge I gained is invaluable. I found that my experience Overseas made me a lot more independent and mature. I realized that there is a whole world out there — not just me. I learned something new everyday I was in Japan. Sometimes this was simply picking up a few new words of Japanese or going to a yoga lesson. Sometimes it was participating in a festival (Awa Odori is fantastic) or spending time in Hiroshima. This really sparked an interest in me to learn about other cultures — one of the reasons why I love my job so much. At the same time I was learning about Japan, I was answering questions about Canada, drawing maps, etc. so that they could learn too. I find that having participated in an international exchange is extremely beneficial in working in the International Education department. I understand our students’ feelings of anxiety and culture shock. I know that things we take for granted can cause problems for them. However, I also know that their time here will be an exciting, fun, educational, and happy one. I know that when they go back home, they will never forget their experience here. Money available for internationalizing the campus! The provincial Ministry of Advanced Education and Training and Technology has established a $150,000 fund (to be divided between 15 institutions), to aid institutions in “internationalizing the campus”. Proposals are to be for curriculum development projects that will not be dependent on subsequent funding allocations. We are interested in hearing any ideas you may have which could help achieve this goal. 10 Peer mentor update We have had a reasonably good response to our request for Peer Mentors. Thanks to those who have applied, but we still need more Canadian students, faculty or staff who would be willing to spend a couple of hours a week (lunchtime, coffee time, an evening?) getting toknowan international student, and helping them settle in to UCFV and the community. STUDENT PROFILE: Jennifer Lai rE Jennifer Lai Jennifer Lai, from Taiwan, has been studying at UCFV since January 1991. When Lai first arrived she took only ESL classes, but over the last three semesters, as her English language skills increased, she has gradually started to take other classes. This semester, Jennifer is a full-time student in the Business Administration diploma program. The things that Lai likes most about studying in Canada are the independence of being away from home, and that the instructors at UCFV are so willing to help international students. The things she misses most about Taiwan are doing things together with her friends who have the same background and that she has known for a long time. There is more to do in Taiwan; because of the warmer climate the shopping hours are longer, and there are more activities for young people. She misses her parents, especially her mother’s cooking. Something that Lai would like to see at UCFV is a wider offering of courses in the spring and summer (May to August), especially in Business! Lai chose to study in Canada because it is a safe country and Abbotsford in particular because since there are few Chinese speaking people here, she is be forced to speak more English and thus learns the language more quickly. She finds that Abbotsford is close enough to Vancouver to visit frequently, despite the transportation involved.