Freedom Day, South Africa

 

Today, South Africans are celebrating Freedom Day in remembrance of the day of the first democratic election in the country in 1994 and the end of apartheid. It was through this election that Nelson Mandela was elected as President of the post-apartheid country. For many South Africans, this is day offers a moment to reflect on the changes, both good and bad, in the country over the past 18 years. One author and activist, Amina Cachalia, reflects on the changes she has seen in South Africa here: Reliving South Africa’s First Freedom Day.

Service Learning and Volunteering Abroad

Last week was National Volunteer Week across the country.  In recognition of this week, we wanted to highlight a couple Interstudy programs where you can participate in volunteering and/or service learning.  Contact us at 781-391-0991 or studyabroad@interstudy.org if you have any questions!

Interstudy encourages our students to take advantage of the many opportunities to gain hands-on experience and give back to your host country’s community while abroad.  By participating in a volunteer or service learning experience, you are pretty much guaranteed to engage more deeply with people from your host country and gain a deeper understanding of the culture.

Great American (Irish, or South African) Pastime

It’s opening day at Fenway Park in Boston, and there’s a buzz of excitement as a new season of America’s greatest pastime begins. Sure the home team isn’t doing so well yet, but any true Red Sox fan would tell you, “they’ll get better”. Baseball holds a special place in American history, as does Fenway Park itself, which is celebrating it’s 100th anniversary this year.

I asked two of Interstudy‘s Resident Staff members in Ireland and South Africa about favorite pastimes in their countries. Here’s a look at what you should expect to see on TV at a local pub near campus:

Titanic Belfast

Even if you’re not reliving your favorite “my heart will go on” moments at the Titanic 3D movie this season, you’ll be interested to hear about a new museum, Titanic Belfast, recently opened in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The museum, which opened on March 31st and is the exact height of the ship, takes visitors through the story of Belfast in the 1900’s and the citiy’s contribution to the most iconic cruise liner in history. It was in Belfast that the ship was built before it’s fateful cruise in 1912.

Golfing Abroad, or Whatever You Please.

I don’t often watch golf on TV just for fun. Scratch that…I never watch golf on TV just for fun. So yesterday’s Easter Dinner with a few friends was a first when a friend tuned into the final minutes of the Master’s. We started watching just in time to see American, Bubba Watson and South African, Louis Oosthuizen, go into sudden death overtime to determine the winner. I must say sudden death overtime made things a bit more exciting! In the end, it was Watson who won the tournament, along with the fancy green jacket.

This got me thinking about all of the sport options available for our students to get involved in while abroad. There is of course, golf, with everywhere from the famous course in St. Andrews, Scotland, to some of the courses that Oosthuizen may have trained at around Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town.