Wheaton students, Miranda Joy, Arron Bos-lun, Nanako Ota, Nurit Applbaum, William McNamara and Lundivine De Rancourt join Bhutan's Prime Minister for tea.

This year marks the second year Wheaton College has sent a group of students to the Kingdom of Bhutan to study for a semester.  Along with Sociology faculty, Professor Hyun Kim, 11 Wheaton students are spending the year at Royal Thimphu College taking courses and getting a first-hand look at one of the most isolated nations and youngest democracies in the world.

For more student perspectives please follow one of these blogs:

• http://wheatonbhutan.blogspot.com/
• http://placesbeenbhutan.weebly.com/
• http://thunderdragonwilson.blogspot.com/
• http://inventus.posterous.com/
• http://lettersfrombhutan.tumblr.com/
• Wheaton in Bhutan Fall 2010

As part of this program two teachers from Nanjing, China conducted introductory Chinese language classes for Norton High students.

This program, now in its second year, is run by the Center for Global Education. Learn more about the Summer English College Preparatory program »

In her own words:
"Whilst on my first expedition outside of America to the Yunnan province of China, I have kept a photographic journal of the native faces, the historical places, and the adventures the group of Wheaton students and I have embarked upon while studying Traditional Chinese Medicine. Compiled in the flickr site I have created are some of my favorite moments--and often the most quintessential aspects of China--of the trip. Through these pictures I hope to share the true beauty of Chinese culture, both modern and traditional." --Michaela Superson '13

Share her experiences as posted on her flickr page and follow along as she learns about the biological perspectives of TCM.

I went to Japan barely knowing how to count to 10 and say, “thank you”.  But I had made it one goal of my sojourn there to learn at least some rudimentary Japanese.  In trying to pick-up what I could, there were two phrases that I heard often.  The first was shikata ga nai or the more informal version shō ga nai.  This can be translated in a number of ways including, “it can’t be helped”, “there is nothing that can be done” or even just “oh well”.  “Nai” means nothing or none and indicates the negative nature of the phrase.

For a long time I fought against this phrase.  Especially whenever my students would use it at some disappointing outcome, I would retort “Shō ga aru!” Aru means “to have” and so I was trying to encourage them by twisting the phrase into something that I thought would be translated as “it can be helped” or “there is something that can be done”.  Mostly I received respectful but puzzled and bemused looks, never the “let’s go and get them” attitude I was hoping for.

For a time I kept at it, and as my Japanese improved I even tried to explain my position and questioned the seemingly downbeat resigned nature of the phrase I was fighting against.  Then I began to realize that very much connected to the phrase shō ga nai was a second often used phrase, one that made all the difference.

This second phrase is gambaru or gambatte (imperative) or most appropriately in this case gambarimasu! (we form) I have often heard this phrase translated as “go for it!” as though it were some Nike ad.  But in reality it means much more.  Gambaru depending on the situation is actually better translated as “don’t give up” or “keep trying” or “keep moving forward”.

I often think of the blue-tang fish Dori in the animated film Finding Nemo as she started chanting “just keep swimming, just keep swimming” as giving an appropriate sense of what gambaru might mean in western English.  Because in one word you can capture a sense of faith – not faith in a religious sense – but faith in the sense that regardless of whatever the outcome – there will be an outcome, and you just need to keep moving forward.  Knowing there is no guarantee of a happy ending, but because others are depending on you, because you are directly connected to everyone around you, to the whole world, and because not to keep trying would be the only true failure, you must gambaru.

I said the two phrases shō ga nai and gambaru were connected and they are, but not only in proximity of use but also in a cycle of emotional processing.  From what I remember of my psychology courses, in the face of disappointment or pending death one of the phases individuals must go through is acceptance.  Without acceptance one can’t move on or begin to recover.  Shō ga nai or coming to the understanding that “it can’t be helped,” that it wasn’t your fault, or even if you do carry some blame that now the situation is as it is, gives you the space to begin the process of gambaru – moving forward.  In Japanese the phase of acceptance has been socially institutionalized along with the ability to move forward.

Over the last year there have been many tragedies around the world; unfortunately, there will be many more in the future.  Some will be completely out of our control and others will be the result of human oversights or deliberate errors.   While there is no guarantee that Japan will fully recover from this latest catastrophe, perhaps we can take with us the lesson of acceptance and perseverance.  While there is never a guarantee of a happy ending for ourselves, perhaps we can learn to accept and keep moving forward with the faith that whatever the outcome – there will be some outcome, and by trying we may be a part of someone else’s happy ending.

Alfredo Varela, Dean for the Center of Global Education,  lived and worked in Japan on and off for a period of almost 10 years between 1990 and 2004.

Together in Hope: An evening of reflection and education

6:00PM Weds – March 23

Cole Memorial Chapel

This event is designed as an opportunity for students and members of the community to offer support to those most affected by the disasters in Japan.  This event will include an opportunity for members of the Norton Japanese community to share their feelings and thoughts about recent events in their homeland.  We will also use this as an opportunity to educate people about some of the possible long-term effects as a result of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters.  There will also be a moment of silent reflection and remembrance for victims of all recent disasters both natural and man-made including, Haiti, Christchurch, Australia, China, and the political crisis in Libya and the Middle East.  At this event we will kick-off a campaign to create a paper-crane tree.  The story of the paper crane is a national symbol of perseverance and hope in the face of great adversity and is uniquely connected to recent events in particular because of the nuclear disaster.

Wheaton College students visit with current Bhtuan "wheatie" Tenzin Wangmo and a former member of the Royal Guard Col Kado

a great metaphor for their experiences. Read here about their trials and adventures as they navigate a different cultural and educational landscape.

Follow along with this link to the official Wheaton in Bhutan Blog.

http://wheatoncollege.edu/in-bhutan/2010/08/25/dinner/

Raphael "Raffi" Sweet shares his stories from Bhutan

Currently 8 Wheaton College students are spending their semester in Bhutan as part of a new study abroad program started this last year through the Center for Global Education.  Accompanying them is Wheaton faculty Professor Bianca Cody-Murphy from the Psychology department.  One of the students Raphael "Raffi" Sweet has entered the blog-sphere to relay to the world all of his experiences and (mis)adventures.

To follow along with the ins and outs of life on the top of the world follow the link below.

http://raffibhutan.tumblr.com/

For students interested in participating in this once in lifetime experience there will be an information session on Tuesday September 28th at 5PM - location to be announced.

The Center for Global Education is currently (July 25 - August 13) hosting a group of 35 students from Nanjing, China here for a program of English practice, U.S. cultural excursions and college prep. advising. This is the first year Wheaton has hosted such an program and it is hoped this will be the beginning of an annual program of study for high school students from around the world.

The students spend part of their mornings in English language study sessions with activities and excursions planned throughout the rest of the day.  Over the three weeks they will have the opportunity to visit Boston, Providence, New York City as well as engage in a number of activities that will allow them to interact with students of their age from Norton and the surrounding towns.

Here are some photos from the first two weeks.  Included are visit to Cape Cod, New York City and a cultural exchange coordinated with Norton High School.  For more information about this program please contact the Center for Global Education (globaled@wheatoncollege.edu) or the Summer English Program Coordinator Jill Ostrowski (ostrowski_jill@wheatoncollege.edu).

To view an article recently published on line from the Norton Mirror follow this link.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/norton/news/x790231713/Chinese-teens-NHS-students-meet-at-Nortons-Camp-Finberg