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- Ted M. •
- IRSEP Malaysia •
- Global Studies and Communications Majors
“Just
crossing cultures can be such a difficult thing, but once
you learn how to do it, you can just appreciate the differences,
but at the same time ignore the differences.”
—Ted M. |
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Ted spent a year in Penang, Malaysia with the Learning Abroad Center’s scholarship exchange program, IRSEP. As a communications and global studies major, he took advantage of the opportunity to explore the language and culture of his host country, and to travel throughout Southeast Asia.
Asia is Ted’s area of focus for the global studies major, and he originally wanted to continue his study of the Chinese language during his study abroad experience. His choice to travel to Malaysia was based on the uniqueness of the country; the scholarship he received added an extra incentive. Ted discovered that IRSEP was a flexible program in terms of coursework. “They weren’t really guiding me or limiting my choices,” he said. “They just throw you into Malaysia and say, ‘Here, go register for this university,’ and you’re on your own. I loved that!” He took courses that he felt would be interesting in a Malaysian context, such as Malaysian literature, Southeast Asian history and culture, and religion and social relations.
Ted’s experience was an exercise in cultural learning. He found that every day activities like meeting friends and exploring the city on his bike were opportunities to learn. “Just crossing cultures can be such a difficult thing, but once you learn how to do it, you can just appreciate the differences, but at the same time ignore the differences.”
Ted also found that going to Malaysia enhanced his study of the communications field. He was proud of his ability to pick up the local language, and sought out opportunities to use it, even if he didn’t feel totally confident. “I got out into the community, and I made as many local friends as I could. I made some great friends. They were more than happy to challenge me to speak,” he said. “Whenever I went out around town, it was always great too. It’s very rewarding to stumble your way through a sentence when ordering your fried rice, and the reactions are more often than not very rewarding.”
Ted carried a personal interest in social issues with him to Malaysia. In Penang, he volunteered to work with an NGO that promotes Malaysian food production for self-sustainability. Under Malaysian law, students are not allowed to be politically active, and Ted thought he had to work between the NGO and national and cultural expectations.
After the academic year, Ted continued his stay in Southeast Asia. “I had finished up the two semesters in Penang, Malaysia, and I thought, ‘well, I could go back to Minnesota and get a summer job, or stay here,’ so I applied at the Human Rights Center... for a fellowship grant. I got an internship up in Bangkok, Thailand, with a human rights organization…It certainly was a different experience. I was exposed to a whole new world through that experience. I got to go to Indonesia, where the tsunami basically devastated the whole city, the whole coastline, to work with the human rights and tsunami concerns, as well as the civil war going on there, and the peace and reconciliation process going on.”
In sum, Ted used his time to get engaged in Malaysian society in a way that was personal as well as societal. “Something so real, how can that not impact me majorly?”
Last modified on November 21, 2008 |