The Ireland Course reports:
After a gloriously sunny morning at the Cliffs of Moher, a walk on the burren, and a visit to Coole Park to see the inspiration for "The Wild Swans at Coole" by Yeats, the Ireland class has arrived in Galway.

The Mexico Course reports:
We have finished the village stay where everyone fell in live with their Maya host families and the food. Sleeping in a hammock was a little difficult for some. The village stay was a bonding experience for the group.

Monday was a very unusual day culturally. It started with breakfast in a Maya hut in the village of Tinum. They then went to the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza followed by a swim and cliff diving in a cenote 75 feet underground. Upon the return to Merida there was an added activity, free tickets to a Latin Jazz concert by world renowned jazz artists. Every student got dressed up and attended the concert at a classic European style theater where the Russian Ballet performs each year. (The concert was phenomenal).

Elon can be very proud of these students.

The first photo below is of the students at one of the new seven wonders of the world, Templo Kukulkan at Chichen Itza. The second photo is Elon students, faculty and Instituto Yucatan jointly presenting gifts of school supplies to the primaria in Tinum pueblo.





The Guam Course reports:
Hafa Adai everyone!
Our continued tour of the island included a jungle riverboat cruise to an Ancient Chamorro village where we saw the Latte Stones that once supported the huts of the natives. We saw a lot of beautiful plants, and some water life, including stick fish, crabs, and a huge catfish. The tour guides gave us headbands and toy fish from coconut leaves, and showed us how they made fire with sticks. We also toured Gef Pago, a Chamorro village we where learned how to make coconut candy, how to make rope from a pandana tree, and we got to watch a master weaver work with coconut leaves. We started our service with the elders and the students were showered with gifts and affection at the senior centers. We learned some coconut leaf weaving techniques, did dances including the Guam Cha-Cha and the Electric Slide, and some of the students decided to teach the elders "Soldier Boy" and a couple of other dances. Last night we went to the Chamorro Village market and had fantastic food, saw some cultural dances and listened to some great music. All in all it has been a great cultural exchange between the mainlanders and the islanders.






The China Course reports:
Below are some photos from the Great Wall of China, the Panda Conservation Center, and the ancient wall of Xian. We're heading to Tibet tomorrow and will keep you updated from the roof of the world.






The Scandinavia Course reports:
Hellas Garden - Polar Plunging
Nordic Museum
Natural History Museum - Golden Eagle

Greetings from beautiful Scandinavia! Our group has the privilege of saying that we are partaking in the coldest Winter Term trip that Elon has ever offered. Clad with our P- coats and scarves, we are battling the dark skies and snow filled streets of Sweden’s capital, Stockholm. A few days ago, we sat atop a tour boat with reindeer skin covered seats where we enjoyed the scarce hours of sunlight that Stockholm has to offer throughout the winter.

From the tour, we passed over the sight of the sunken Vasa ship whose new resting place, the Vasa museum, was in plain view just across the bay. Later that day, our class received a guided tour that elaborated not only on the capsizing of the ship, but also the extensive salvage job of 1961. Constructed in the early 1600’s, it sank on its maiden voyage less than a mile off shore due to unstable ballast and top heavy construction. Although it looked like something straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean, it did not have the magic of the big screen to stay afloat. After sitting at the bottom of the bay for over 300 years, its true beauty can now be observed at the Vasa Museum.

In order to allow students to explore aspects of Swedish culture on their own, free days have been implemented in the itinerary every so often. Despite the frigid temperatures of the area, a few members of the group decided it would be fun to partake in a local favorite past time, the polar plunge. It is much like the Polar Bear Plunge in Elon’s Lake Marynell, except that you sit in a sauna before each plunge and the lake itself is completely frozen over except for an area kept clear for plungers. Later in the trip, the entire group will be taken there to participate in the plunge as part of a group presentation. Be waiting for a great group picture to arrive soon!

Today we arrived back from the Island of Gotland. Specifically we visited a World Heritage Site on Gotland, the medieval town of Visby which is surrounded by a centuries old wall. As with many of the places we have visited, it is easy to get a sense of the history of the area as many of the buildings that surround us are older than the United States itself. Through a local tour guide that showed us around the city, a visit to the Gotland Fornsal Museum and by talking to local cafe owners, we have been able to learn a great deal about the Viking and medieval roots of the city.

Relating to Elon, Visby is making large strides to become completely self-sufficient in regards to energy. Through solar panels, hydro electric power that is obtained from the Baltic Sea, and strategically placed windows, their library is well on its way to running solely on sustainable energy.

Our class is divided into groups that focus on the following aspects of Swedish culture: art, education, sports, wildlife, cuisine and automotive safety. The groups are responsible for contacting local professionals and creating a presentation that will educate the rest of the class in their specific areas. Thus far, the wildlife group has taken our class the Natural History Museum where we were introduced to many native creatures that are capable of surviving and adapting to the extreme climate of Scandinavia. We are all hoping that many of these species will be visible when we visit, Kiruna, Sweden’s most northern town, later this week. This evening we are looking forward to experiencing the local cuisine at Tennstopet, one of Stockholm’s local restaurants.

The Aboriginal Australia Course reports:
Wednesday Jan. 9
Today we took a Ferry Ride to Rottnest Island. The island is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, the indigenous inhabitants of the Perth City area. In one of their dreaming stories that piece of earth separated from the mainland and received its name Wadjemup once it separated, meaning "the land across the water".

In traditional Noongar history, the island had no negative connotation; however since the arrival of the Europeans, the island is very negatively associated with the Noongar people. The Europeans turned this beautiful island on the Indian Ocean a prison for the aboriginal people. They created laws without telling the aboriginal people and then imprisoned them here on Rottnest. The prisoners had a very rough time on the Island. They were only rationed 2 pounds of bread a day for all of the prisoners and their cells were the size of office cubicles. The prison is now a tourist hotel on the island called the Lodge.

There is also a cemetery on the island were both the prisoners and white inhabitants of the island are buried side by side. However, all of the graves of the aboriginals are unmarked because in their society is very particular about their deceased and their spirits.

Now on the island you can find a local Australian coffee chain Dome, tandem bike tours and a plethora of other vacationing extravaganza.

Thursday Jan. 10
Today we had more classes at Curtin University Aboriginal Study Center. We were cultured in the Aboriginal domain, dreaming and outlook by three knowledgeable individuals. One, a lady named Lesley Neale, a white woman who actually teaches professors how to teach aboriginal studies. Originally from England she has spent around 20 plus years working with aboriginal children and studying their culture.

The other is John Mallard, an aboriginal who looks like a white man. Only another indigenous person would be able to tell he was an aboriginal. He explained the intermarriage with the Dutch since the 1640’s, that have cause his white features. Mr. Mallard explained all the aspects of the Dreaming, the basis for all aspects for life on aboriginal societies. There was at one point over 400 aboriginal tribes all with their slightly own unique story of the Dreaming. Mr. Mallard cultured us in peculiar social peculiarities and aboriginal territorial rights.

Lastly, there is the very humble Darren Garvey. He is an indigenous man, a Torres Strait Islander, who hails from the Northeast corner of the continent. He is a Psychologist by trade and an expert in spreading the understanding and beauty of the aboriginal people. He is a very engaging speaker, pleasant, a phenomenal listener and seems eager to learn the American perspective on the aboriginal situation as well share all of the knowledge he has.

Later in the day we ventured to the Western Australia Museum and Art Gallery. Here we learned of the history of the indigenous dating back 50,000 years ago up to modern day. The museum covered everything from first traces of aboriginal settlement to the current day action of providing those equal rights and opportunities as well as all of the nitty gritty details in between. At the art gallery we were able to see modern artwork down by aboriginal artists all over the country.

Tomorrow we are off to Margaret River and are all very excited!!