Headed to Osaka #HogsAbroad in Japan

金閣寺(Kinkaku-ji) Temple of the Golden Pavilion

Hello all! 

Thank you for finding your way to my page. I guess I should give you some background on who I am. My name is Khloe Benton and I am a Junior and I'm double majoring in Asian and International Studies with a minor in Japanese. This spring of 2018, I will once again return to the Land of a Thousand Suns, Japan. This time for a full semester. The first time I went was during the summer of 2017 on the Faculty-Led International Business Seminar Program. It was about 5 weeks long, but definitely not long enough. This time I will be going through an external program called CET Academic Programs Abroad. I will reside in Osaka, the third largest city in Japan. I head out on January 14th. I'm looking forward to updating you all on my day-to-day experiences while I'm in Japan!

Stay tuned!
K.B.

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Khloe, a junior International Studies and Asian Studies major and Japanese minor, is spending the Spring 2018 semester studying in Japan.
Read more from Khloe at https://findingkhloe.blogspot.com/
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Culture Shock: China in 5 Photos #HogsAbroad

Suzhou, China

One of the biggest culture shocks the group experienced that had not previously been to Asia was that the restrooms often did not have the traditional toilet. Rather, they would have the indoor version of an outhouse which was quite the shock for those of us that had never experienced this style of restroom. This was the first experience I had with the restroom in China outside of the hotel and this was at Suzhou university.

Shanghai, China

The Bund in Shanghai was a vibrant place featuring many shops and views, such as this view of the Shanghai financial district. The metro station made travel across the water possible for us tourists and we visited that side of the city immediately prior to this picture being taken. This trip was a pure test of ability to navigate an unknown city and its public transportation.

Shenzhen, China

The poverty and inequality in terms of income and quality of life were substantially low for the people of China. Homeless people, often disabled, were very prevalent and were often in the middle of the sidewalk asking for money from passerby.

Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

 This photo illustrates the dichotomy between the view of the city from high up versus the view of the city from the street. From above, it is evident the many moving parts of the city such as the people, the flow of traffic, and the constant construction and how it all appears to be a big puzzle. From the bottom, the pool on the rooftop and the vegetation surrounding it alongside the vegetation and hideouts on the other high rises was non-evident, alongside the incredible architecture as is depicted in the building at the top left.

Beijing, China

This photo was taken at the only wonder of the world located in China, The Great Wall. Although this wall was built to promote separation from the Mongols, in this picture it is clear that many years later, this wall serves to promote unity for those who visit to marvel at its beauty and grandeur.

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Invest in your own study abroad program today! Find more internship and study abroad opportunities within Walton College at http://walton.uark.edu/global/index.php

Second Time’s a Charm for Khloe! #GilmanScholarship #HogsAbroad

Khloe Benton, a University of Arkansas sophomore, has been awarded a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad this summer. Benton will spend five weeks in Japan as part of an international business seminar led by economics professor Robert Stapp.

The scholarship program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is intended to increase international experiences for American students, so they will be better prepared to thrive in the increasingly global economy. The scholarship will cover up to $5,000 of Benton’s study abroad costs.

The international studies and Asian studies major was overjoyed when she learned she had won the scholarship.

“I saw ‘Congratulations!’ in the preview text of the email, and I dropped my phone and started shaking,” Benton said. “I couldn’t believe it was actually happening.”

Benton had applied for the scholarship previously, but her application was denied. However, she did not let that stop her from continuing to pursue her dream of studying abroad. Benton revamped her application, working closely with the staff in the Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange to ensure her she was submitting the best possible application.

“The first time I applied, I tried too hard to make my application and accompanying essay sound pretty, instead of being true to myself and showing who I am,” she said. “When I reapplied, I tried to be more straightforward and do a better job showing my passion for the study abroad program.”

After completing her undergraduate degree, Benton plans to join the Peace Corps.

“I’ve wanted to join the Peace Corps since I was a child, and I think this experience will give me a head start.”

Benton was one of several University of Arkansas students to win a Gilman scholarship to study abroad this summer. The other winners are:

• Michelle Amos, interdisciplinary studies major, studying abroad in Mexico
• Dinah Benford, journalism major, studying abroad in France
• Allyson Braggs, public health major, studying abroad in Chile
• Erica Brewer, psychology major, studying abroad in Italy
• California Burhmester, animal science major, studying abroad in Thailand
• Ikenna Egbosimba, electrical engineering major, studying abroad in Spain
• Gabriel Gutierrez, public health major, studying abroad in Spain
• Quinten Johnson, architecture major, studying abroad in Thailand
• Jesse Keener, journalism major, studying abroad in the Czech Republic
• Fernanda Oregon, nursing major, studying abroad in Spain
• Roya Rashidi, public health major, studying abroad in Peru
• Sabrina Rivas, art major, studying abroad in Italy
• Sydney Spradlin, biomedical engineering major, studying abroad in Denmark
• Christian White, educational studies major, studying abroad in Spain
• Eric Williams, accounting major, studying abroad in Ireland

Students interested in studying abroad or learning more about applying for the Gilman Scholarship should contact the Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange. Undergraduate students with limited financial means who plan to study abroad are encouraged to apply.

Shoguns and Samurai #HogsAbroad in Japan

My name is Brandon Barker. I am majoring in Political Science and Asian Studies, and am minoring in Japanese with a Business Emphasis. I decided to travel to, you guessed it, Japan for the fall semester to mainly improve my ability in the language.

I have been studying at Kanto Gakuin University in the Yokohama area, but during a break between classes I decided to travel to Kyoto and see some classic Japanese culture. Kyoto was the former capital of Japan, and as such has a rich history dating back to when there were Shoguns and samurai.

The best way that I could describe Kyoto would probably be as a nicer version of New York that has shrines, temples, and castles every now and then. It's a really fascinating contrast between modern society and classical Japanese history. I went while the trees were all changing color, which made for some great sight seeing.

This picture is of the front of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the shrine best known for its long trail of orange gates which climb up and around the mountain it sits at the base of. The shrine is for the Japanese Shinto god Inari Oukami, who is the god of many things, but primarily rice. Its messengers are foxes, and as such there are a number of fox statues throughout the shrine's grounds. I originally intended to climb to the top of the mountain, but I took the time to explore a number of sub-shrines on offshoots of the gates' path. They were all gorgeous and peaceful, but the estimated time to climb the mountain I had read did not factor this in, and after a couple hours I just could barely keep climbing. 

By the time I had reached a spot where I could see all of Kyoto, I was pretty satisfied. I decided to rest at a cat cafe along the road to the train station, which was adorable. You can eat some snacks, play with the cats, and and read some manga while you wait for your legs to work again.

Speaking of being able to see all of Kyoto, I hiked up Arashiyama mountain the next day, where there is a monkey park at the top. The view is absolutely gorgeous, and there are a ton of monkeys all over the place. They're all quite docile, and you can feed them if you buy a bag of apples or peanuts inside of a small shop inside. 

The paths going up and down the mountain are also stunning. Japan's summers are quite hot and humid, but the tradeoff is that the plants are all more vibrant than I have ever seen. Even in the fall some of the brightest red, yellow, and green leaves I have ever seen cover the trees. 

One of the last big stops that I made was to Kinkaku-ji, which was originally a house built by an aristocrat, was then purchased by a shogun, and finally was converted into a Zen Buddhist temple. The original was burnt down in 1950, but it was rebuilt in 1955 thanks to donations. The second and third stories are entirely covered in gold leaf, and while it is stunning, visitors are unfortunately not able to go inside. The grounds surrounding the building, however, help to make up for it.

I went to a couple of other places while in Kyoto but these are the locations that I would categorize as a "must-go" if you visit. One thing to note though is that I encountered a little bit of an issue due to the fact that the region speaks in the Kansai-dialect of Japanese. By this point I was pretty much always able to communicate effectively enough in the Yokohama/Tokyo area, and was really working on getting the intonation right for the standard Tokyo dialect. When in Kyoto, however, I ran into some issues with people understanding what I was saying despite being certain that I hadn't misspoken. There is actually a surprising amount of English in Kyoto though, which was convenient, even if I really wanted to practice the language more during my mini-vacation.

- Brandon Barker, Hogs Abroad Alum of the KGU Exchange during Fall 2016
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Interested in spending a semester abroad while paying your normal U of A tuition? Take a look at an exchange program!
For information about our exchange with Kanto Gakuin University, see http://studyabroad.uark.edu/exchange/kantogakuin/
For other exchange options through the University of Arkansas, check out http://studyabroad.uark.edu/programs/exchange.php