All Blog Posts Tagged 'international' (41)

Research has it that this is a growing trend among newlywed couples in this day. Newlyweds do not want their honeymoon to be a simple self centered holiday, as it was during the older more traditional days. More and more couples are carrying out their marriage ceremonies abroad; this scenario leads to a situation where most of these couples are in the most opportune destination for their honeymoon. Couples therefore see this as an opportunity to use the beginning of their matrimonial life to…

“I enjoy spending time at home or going out for a quiet meal in a restaurant.”- Jamie Redknap. While one is volunteering you need to be full of energy, to give you the endurance and strength to get through the day, especially in a foreign country. Many a time you will find that a volunteer in a foreign country may have to make a drastic change to the diet that they are used to while at home, in addition, they may constantly go for a long period in between meals, which leads to a situation…

“Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless.”  ~Charles M. Crowe. Easter is considered as one of those times  of the year when giving to the less fortunate is seen as the best spiritual sacrifice one can make, mainly for those who believe that it is a time when you should give up something of value to you, for the benefit of others. For a volunteer this is most likely their time or expertise. It is easier for someone to volunteer during the holidays…

Volunteering, especially volunteering abroad, is one of those life changing experiences an individual can go through, it can form some of the best moments of one’s life or the worst, and so before a person commits themselves to volunteering abroad, there are a few things you need to ask yourself, to ensure you are making the best choice. Here are a few questions you may consider.

Why do you want volunteer abroad?

There are many reasons why people…

Set check in day or times

There are around 1.6 million volunteers who have left home to go and volunteer in different parts of the world. Some of them planned as early as two years in advance on when they are going to volunteer and what they would do. While for some of them it took less than two weeks to plan and leave home. Depending on the individual, early planner or late planner, it is advisable to plan in advance for a volunteer abroad trip. Advance preparation helps the volunteer to: make everything ready…

“Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” - Robert Frost quotes. There are many people out there who love meeting new friends and making connections. They don’t get satisfied with meeting only people of their area and sometimes they choose to broaden their horizons by making international friends. Becoming a host of a home stay is a one of the ways for him/her to meet people from different cultures. A home stay is a form of tourism or study abroad…

“One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind.”  ~Malayan Proverb. Volunteering is a selfless act and by definition it means the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services. It’s a service that improves the quality of life for one person or the community in general. While volunteering there are few perks that come with it and little financial compensation. With some organizations the…

“Distance doesn't matter if you really love the person, what matters most is your honesty and trust for that relationship to work out” - Trish. The second international holiday celebrated after New Year is Valentine’s Day.  History has it that Valentine’s Day came from St. Valentine a priest who lived around 270 AD in Rome and he attracted the disfavor of Roman emperor Claudius II who ruled during this time. He believed that marriage made the men weak. So he issued an edict forbidding…

“The world is hugged by the faithful arms of volunteers.”  ~Terri Guillemets. There are many organizations that plan volunteer vacations for travelers.  They are numbered in their hundreds and many travelers wonder whether the organization they are going to use is a scam or a fraud. This is especially true with newer organizations which don’t have a previous track record. To help out potential volunteers who are going abroad, the volunteer travel companies have formed associations which try…

“If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever." – Kofi Annan. Volunteering abroad is becoming a huge industry being currently valued at $ 2.6 billion with an approximate 1.6 million volunteer tourists from the United Kingdom. As such volunteering abroad or voluntourism is a big business and it has started to take peoples’ notice. There have been a lot of conversations on twitter, facebook,…

Home sickness is defined as distress caused by separation from a specific home environment. Students who join universities and colleges or those who go abroad are affected by homesickness. As they are exposed to different environments and new people they are sometimes overcome by homesickness. Some students don’t get homesick, but there are others who are overwhelmed by the new experience. The main signs and symptoms of homesickness are: Nostalgia, grief, depression, anxiety, topophilia,…

Reflecting back on our International Student Exchange Experience in Malaysia

Whoever said school is boring didn’t go on an International Student Exchange!

It’s hard to believe it’s already been 6 years since our unforgettable time in Malaysia. As the cliché goes, "it feels like only yesterday"!

When the opportunity to attend an international student exchange was…

Many people want to travel and volunteer abroad. It is their dream to go, see and experience the world. Most of the potential international volunteers don’t leave home because of the obstacles they see. As they start

planning their dream vacation to volunteer abroad, or gap year, round the world

trip backpack and intern abroad they are overwhelmed by the obstacles that they

foresee. They look at their problems facing them and say “if only” or “I…

The largest percentages of international volunteers are young volunteers. Their age range varies between 18 to 40 years. There are also older international volunteers but the number of younger ones is on the rise.

One misconception people have is that they are too young to go abroad and

volunteers. While at the same time there are volunteers who are as young as 14

years who leave home to go abroad. Travelling at a young age gives you the

opportunity to…

Safety is a concern for many people who travel abroad. There is always a risk that something could happen to the traveler while they are

abroad. Male volunteers are not safe while they abroad but female volunteers

are more at risk than them. Due to their small stature (smaller than the

average male) they are more at risk while they are volunteering abroad. Female

international…

Traveling is a disease that is not easy to cure; some say it’s caused by being bitten by a travel bug. Travelers could be those who are going

to: volunteer abroad; gap year; study abroad; intern abroad; tourist abroad;

career break and boomers abroad. Many of the travelers especially those who are

going to stay for a long period of time like for months or years fail to plan.…

Have you ever had your name chanted on a crowded boardwalk in a foreign country? I have. Here's my story . . .

Barcelona, Spain is an amazing city! It's culture, food, architecture, nightlife and street performers are virtually unmatched anywhere else in the world. Not to mention its beaches . . . and the people who make the beach their place of business (Yes, I am talking about drug dealers).

His hair…