It’s easy to look at pictures in a book of a beautiful beach on a tropical island, while sitting in class, day dreaming the semester away.
But as early as next summer, that dream can become a reality.
Every year, Glendale’s Study Abroad Program offers students the chance to combine travel and studies as they leave the United States for a different country. The destination for next summer is the island of Bali.
The director of Study Abroad, Kim Foong Chong is very excited that this destination has been chosen again. Last time the program took off to Bali was in 2000.
“It is truly a paradise,” Foong Chong said.
Bali is one of over 17,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago and is described as a paradise on earth with friendly people, volcanoes, miles and miles of long white sand beaches with clear blue water.
According to Bali’s official tourist Web site it also has a colorful culture and flavorful cuisine.
“To study abroad in any country is a very good learning experience,” Foong Chong said. “One will not only study about the subject of the class but also learn about another culture. It takes you out of your world and the students will learn so much about themselves and grow as persons.” He also said Bali is special because it is so different from Western societies.
“Big cities are almost always the same, but Bali has such a different culture and it is an extraordinary experience to go there,” he said.
The price for 27 days on the island is $3,100 plus tax and tuition fees. For that amount, the students get round-trip airfare from LAX with land transfers and transport.
It will also include 27 nights in a tourist hotel based on two students per room including 27 breakfasts, eight dinners, six luncheons, as well as free passes to numerous temples, and historical and cultural sites. “If one has a wish for a private room it will cost extra,” Foong Chong said.
A day cruise to Lembongan Island, which is a small island between Bali and another island named Nusa Penida, is famous for its crystal-clear water and few tourists, according to the Web site www. http://www.indonesia-tourism.com will also be included in the price. Other things are a visit to Monkey Forest, opportunities to sail with dolphins and snorkeling coral reefs.
The courses offered for the program next summer are Humanities 120 with Professor William Juzwiak, Philosophy 114 with Professor Lina Gupta, and Geography 103 with Professor Darren Leaver and Professor Laura Englund-Krusee.
Leaver, program director for the trip, is currently on sabbatical leave and living in Bali, so he is particularly knowledgeable about the island.
Students are required to take six units or two out of the three classes offered on the trip.
The program usually takes about 30 to 35 on their trips. Foong Chong wants people to not wait with their applications because spots fill up quickly. There is a $300 deposit at the time of reservation. Second payments are due Nov. 30, and the final payment is due next March 15. There is no maximum number of students accepted as long as there are flight tickets and hotel rooms available.
One does not have to be a student prior to the trip and an age limit does not exist, although if applicants are underage, parents need to sign.
For more information, visit
www.glendale.edu/studyabroad or email Kim Foong Chong at [email protected]. He is available in AD 145C during office hours.
