API, Oregon Abroad, AHA...Oh the choices!

Over the past several months I have been trying to decide what study abroad program I want to apply for. This has been a rather overwhelming task. First, one has to decide what they want to study and then where they want to travel to. How long do you want to be gone, a fall, an entire year? How much do you want to pay for the "experience of a life time"? All of these questions aside and then you have scraped the surface of the Study Abroad Program world.

So finally after a good amount of searching I have managed to find my program of choice. I will be traveling to Seville, Spain during the academic year to study Communications through Academic Programs International.This is a reasonably priced program with an initial cost of $17,500. In comparison my tuition currently at EOU is $18,500 which is considerably cheaper than many state colleges. I will have to pay for my plane tickets. This will probably the most costly part of the trip. The dates for the upcoming school year are September 14, 2009 to Late-May, 2010. The cost also pays for two excursions, one of which will be to Paris, France and another will be to a city in Spain.

Right now I have put together a binder to hold all of the information about my excursion. My goal is to be totally prepared by the time that I need to apply next spring. I am super excited for the next couple of months.

If you are interested in the API programs click here.

Happy Wandering,
CCosner

Travel Guide : Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door 2009

In my ambitious quest to learn as much about traveling Europe as I can, I went to my local library and purged the travel section. I was referred to Rick Steves' many travel guides as reliable and creative sources. So a stack of twelve travel books later I have found several winners, this book obviously being among them.

To my absolute pride, I found that Rick lives in Washington and like many hardy Pacific Northwesterners is not afraid of roughing it a bit. His book is chock full of all sorts of money saving tips for the broke yet wandering college student that I am. From how to pack, when to travel, where to stay, and what to avoid; Rick covers it all in a very comprehensive and entertaining fashion. He even provides some sample trips routes that could prove inspiring and helpful. Since I will not be traveling abroad for another couple years I plan on purchasing the most up-to-date version of this book being as these things tend to get out of date pretty fast.

To order this book or check out more Rick Steves' goodies click here.
Or if you are the money saving type Amazon will have want you want here.

Happy Wandering,
CCosner

Foreign Films I Recommend

For those of us that do not always get the ability to travel the world and hear another language, foreign films can provide an escape. Not only can you enjoy listening to another language but you can also experience a different story and a more refined cinema. All of the movies listen below are subtitled and are all wonderful. My friend and I have spent most of this year watching foreign films.

If you like what you see you can read his reviews for the rest of our movie obsessions here: http://thekingofwishfulthinking.wordpress.com/

Here follows the list in no particular order:

1) Amelie - Language: French US Rating: R

This is one of the first foreign films I have watched. It has a wonderful plot. The filming style is fantastic. It is a romantic comedy so it will leave that warm fuzzy feeling after you have watched it. I would recommend this movie to viewers who are new the subtitle reading.

2) L' Auberge Espangnole (The Spanish Apartment) -Languages: French, Spanish, German, English and others US Rating: R

To be honest this is the movie that inspired me to consider studying abroad. It follows a French grad-student on his adventures in Spain. The movie is funny. It is tasteful and crude at the same time. There are a plethora of languages spoken throughout the movie and you really grasp how wonderful it would be to study with so many interesting people. The movie has a squeal, Russian Dolls, but I did not find it nearly as good as the first and it is not listed here.

3)Paris Je T' Amie (Paris I Love You)- Languages: French, English US Rating: R

The movie is comprised of 18 short films all made in Paris. Not all of them are as some a highly stylized while others are not so much. They each have there own special flavor. This is a must see for anyone who adores the city of lights.

4) Everything is Illuminated- Languages: Russian, English US Rating: PG-13

Starring Elijah Wood, this movie is a touching, funny, and beautiful. There are some remarkable film transitions and moments of wonderful hilarity. It is a movie that seems to optimize the quest of finding ones roots. It is defiantly a must see.

5)Paradise Now- Languages: Arabic, English US Rating: PG-13

With the current trend of anti-Arabic media it is hard to put a positive face on a group of people that has been ridiculed by society. Paradise Now identifies the struggles of two young men who are chosen to be suicide bombers. The movie is deeply moving and makes you reconsider your biases.

6) Les Choristes (The Chorus)- Language: French US Rating: PG-13

This is probably the most mild movie on this list. Les Choristes is a delightfully soft and warm film. With its notes of love and sympathy it is probably the most "family" of all of the films I have watched in French. The music is amazing and the plot is a delightful one dealing with a man who is hired at a school for misbehaving young boys. This film is also a winner of two Academy Awards.

7)Persepolis- Language: French US Rating: PG-13

The only animated film on this list is Persepolis. Both bold and entertaining it recounts a young woman's life as she grows up in Iran in the 1970's. This movie is based off of a graphic novel and the animation style is very smiler.

8) The Counterfeiters- Language: German US Rating- R

I personally am a fan of WWII movies but this one tells a different story. The Nazis processed thousands of dollars via counterfeiting to flood foreign markets. This movie tells the story of one particular man and the effect he had on this system. A must see for those who love history.

9) He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not- Language: French US Rating- PG-13

Two stories, two points of view. Who's is right? You only know at the end. With an unexpected plot twist I was left both disturbed and in love. Audrey Tautou does a wonderful job as usual.

10) Pan's Labyrinth - Language: Spanish US Rating- R

Probably one of the more popular "foreign films" in the US. Regardless, I find it to be both disturbing and enlightening. It leans heavily to the side of fantasy. There are scary scenes and the effects are great. It is must see. (Plus we can all exercise our high school Spanish)

All of these movies can be found on Amazon.com. You can read more detailed reviews as well by both Amazon and other viewers. Until next time...

Happy Wandering,
CCosner

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!

There are several things that I hope to address here. The first will of course be highlighting my travels around the Pacific Northwest and the world. Secondly, I hope to delve in to different experiences with food, films, and music. Lastly, I will be updating my readers on my latest goals, a year long trip to Europe, and my enrollment in the Peace Corps.

I hope that you will enjoy.

Happy Wandering!
CCosner