The Journey Starts Here...

Recruitment Trip Update from Taiwan!

2012-02-17T12:04:00.000-06:00

This week Allie & Mike are in Taiwan recruiting for the J-1 Summer Work & Travel Program. Here's a quick update from Allie about their experience thus far:

Yesterday we had our cultural day here in Taipei and weventured to a small hilltop village close to Taipei - Jiufen Area, which whentranslated to English means 9 items - symbolic of the nine families that wereindigenous to the area for centuries. The hill tops were so steep thatwhen you went gathering or into neighboring hillside towns it was thought ofthat you bring back 9 items for the families to share. It was absolutelygorgeous!

The narrow streets (sidewalks really) that had these amazingshops of all type and varieties - the area permeated with the cold rain andsweet smells of Taiwan and Chinese cuisine. On our walk through the marketplace and up the mountain further we ran into one of past participants from the previous summer season truly a small world we live in!

Then we met up with I-Wen (former AAG employee), she's doing very well and looksso happy! She spent the day with us and acted as the best AAG ambassadorfor our trip!

Poolside Recruitment in Ukraine & Moldova

2012-02-06T21:16:00.003-06:00

Caitlyn and I had a great trip to the freezing cold countries of the Republic of Moldova and the Ukraine. Despite the -10 degree weather and snow on the ground, we had our flip flops and swimsuits on for the poolside recruitment.

Students who were interested in working as a lifeguard this summer must pass a swim test - 8 laps (or 200 meters) of the pool. I must admit, the smell of chlorine, swim caps and seeing them brought back memories of my days as a swimmer and lifeguard during my summers.

The highlight of the trip was ending on a high note. Our final day of recruiting in Moldova we had one student who was struggling to pass the swim test. With a little bit of coaching from the employer, he was able to make it and all 10 young men passed the test! Here's a video so you too can experience it (without even getting wet!).

Tripping: Meet Locals during your stay in the U.S.

2012-02-06T19:22:00.000-06:00

Tripping is a hospitality network for travelers who want to meet local people. It's safe, free and good for the world. The following is an interview with Anis Salvesen, marketing manager, who gives us an insider’s look at Tripping.

Tell us a little about Tripping
Tripping is a social travel site that connects travelers with localpeople for tips, shared cups of coffee and home stays in over 175countries. On Tripping there are micro communities called'Networks,' for organizations ranging from nonprofits to universitiesand associations (like the National Peace Corps Association). There'sactually an Alliance Abroad Group Network, which members can use tomeet up and stay with other AAG Network members around the globe.https://www.tripping.com/network/alliance-abroad

We'd love to hear the story of how you first became involved with Tripping.
I first became involved with Tripping as an intern. I was attractedby the idea of joining a startup that focused on making the world abetter place through cultural exchange. I also really liked theTripping team and immediately realized that I wanted to be a part ofit. That was a couple years ago, and it's been exciting to watch ourcommunity grow and be part of that growth.

What are a few of your favorite Tripping stories?
Ooh that's tough because I have quite a few. So I'll just go withsome examples from the past couple of weeks.Last weekend my husband and I met up with a Tripper from Israel thatwe had hosted last year. We had taken him to our favorite taqueria inthe Mission (in San Francisco) and he loved it so much, he wanted togo back. So he messaged me to ask me the name of the taqueria and weended up meeting him for tacos and beer. We had a great time catchingup, and my husband and I have an invitation to visit him in Israel.One of my friends I met through Tripping (she's from London but we metin Barcelona) wrote me a gushing email last week about her experiencehosting her first Tripper since moving to her new flat. The youngwoman she hosted was a professional singer from the U.S.who had spentthe last few months working as a singer in Southeast Asia. They wentout with a group of her friends to a salsa bar and practiced theirSpanish over dance moves and Cuban mojitos.Another friend I made via Tripping spent the last couple years as anexpat in South Korea and is currently traveling around Asia. She wasrecently in Nepal, where she met up with a local Tripper and attendeda traditional Nepalese wedding in the Tripper's wife's village.Those are my recent personal stories. As far as stories of Trippersin general, I was struck by the story about the Trippers who werestranded by the first Icelandic volcanic ash cloud that disrupted airtraffic in Europe who were rescued by a Tripping host. How cool isthat?I also loved the story of a group of Trippers from Spain who visitedNYC for the first time this past summer and connected with a localTripping host who took them to their first baseball game and sharedthe views of Manhattan from his amazing roof deck.

What has been the most surprising/inspiring experience you've had at Tripping?
I've had a number of inspiring experiences. One that comes instantlyto mind is a connection I first made with a Tripper via the TrippingFacebook page. She posted a comment to our Facebook page and when Iclicked over to her website, I realized she was a Danish woman who hasdedicated her life to inspiring other disabled people to travel. Shejoined Tripping(https://www.tripping.com/blog/blog/2011/11/03/tripper-of-the-week-kirsten-kester/)and we've exchanged quite a few messages through Tripping and chattedvia Skype several times. She is on my growing list of Trippers aroundthe world I absolutely must visit.

How can one get involved with Tripping?
Participating in the Tripping community is easy. Just sign up andyou'll be part of a growing community of people around the world whoare interested in cross-cultural experiences. They'll give youtravel tips, show you around their city, meet you for dinner at theirfavorite local restaurant and even host you. And via the AllianceAbroad Group Network on Tripping, you can start connecting with othermembers of the AAG community around the world. Just click here.

Manila: Life on Smokey Mountain Dumpsite

2012-01-31T06:48:00.007-06:00

My first time volunteering with Young Focus (http://youngfocus.org) at their Young Focus Childcare Center on the Smokey Mountain dump site in Manila was overwhelming. Smokey Mountain dump site is a huge trash dump in Manila which has a large squatter population (as high as 30,000 at one point) who make their living by picking through the rubbish and selling recyclable items to middlemen. Young Focus Childcare Center was developed to assist malnourished babies and toddlers from zero to 3 years old.

I met the woman that runs the childcare center about 1 km from the actual dump site. We took a tricycle to the Childcare Center which is located on the actual dump site, close to the families that live there. I knew we were getting close when an overwhelming smell hit me, a not so pleasant mixture of every kind of trash imaginable mixed with smoke from the inevitable fires that break out on the dump site due to trash being under the intense sun.
I knew that people lived on the dump site but the reality of that didn't really hit me until I saw children as young as 3 and women and men as old as maybe 90 sifting through garbage. I have seen a lot of poverty in areas like Sudan and Bangladesh but this was intense. I was happy to enter the one room Childcare Center and get busy.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE both the women that work every day at the center (they are affectionately called the "Angles") and of course the babies and toddlers that they serve. My duties were pretty simple; feeding, bathing, and mostly just giving them attention and a little exercise. The Angles laughed that I seemed best at being a human jungle gym for the 2 and 3 year olds particularly as they were fond of seeing how far up the "giant" (yes, that would be me) they could crawl. Most people that volunteer say that they "get" more out of their volunteer work than they feel that they are "giving". This was 100% my feeling volunteering at Young Focus and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to get to know the Angles and the work that Young Focus is doing for some of the poorest people in the world.

If you are in the U.S. or any other part of the world as a part of an exchange program I highly recommend that you seek out a volunteer opportunity. Not only can you help people but you can also get to know more about the culture you are in and make new friends you might not have otherwise. A wonderful resource for getting started with volunteering in the U.S. is VolunteerMatch (http://www.volunteermatch.org/) where you can search for volunteer opportunities in your area or if you want to travel abroad, you can check out our sister company AIDE Abroad for volunteer opportunities. There is something for everyone no matter what your interest or available time. If you are currently or plan to start volunteering let AAG know about it and encourage others to do the same!

Erin Wingerter - AAG Pilipinas

It's All About The Students

2011-12-21T20:16:00.009-06:00

I often get asked why I do my job. My answer is always the same: the participants (students). I just returned to Manila (where I currently work for AAG) from Bangkok where I had 125 wonderful reminders of why the J-1 Work & Travel program is an important and life-changing program. I had the privilege to interview 125 students (yes, those are my 125 reminders!) during the fair. In case you have not had the chance to attend an AAG recruitment fair here is a breakdown of how it goes:

1. AAG introduction and presentation - I try and make these as fun as possible since most students look terrified when I walk in the door (I assume it's due to the fact they are nervous for the interview not terrified of me...). We go over the basics of the program, who AAG is and tips on interviewing. This fair was interesting since I was giving tips on interviewing with me!

2. The interview - determining English level and how prepared a student is to participate in the Work & Travel program is the focus of the interview. Sometimes interviews are done one at a time, sometimes they are in groups. For this fair I interviewed students in groups.

3. The waiting - students that were slotted to interview near the end of the day had a long time to think about their interview. I spoke to a few students that were scheduled to interview last and they said it was well worth the wait (below some of the very last students to interview, with their great attitude they will rock the program).

That's just about it! Not to complicated. As I said this particular fair I really enjoyed as some of the students I had already met and had the pleasure of seeing again. Several students were returning after having already been to the U.S. for the Work & Travel program once and it was fun to hear how the program had changed their lives (for the better!). A few of my favorite moments from the fair:

1. I take my job VERY seriously. The program is meant to be a fun learning experience so the fair is meant to be a fun learning experience as well!

2. Sometimes I get presents! This student had told me in a previous interview that she did watercolor cards and she was kind enough to bring one for me.

3. Getting to sign a job offer and knowing that a student will get to travel to the U.S. in 3 short months to have a life-changing experience. One of the students told me that I looked like the president signing papers.

I am looking forward to hearing about the students experience in the U.S. after they return from their Work & Travel program. It's only the beginning!

Erin - AAG Pilipinas

2011-12-16T13:42:00.001-06:00

AAG Pilipinas put up a "journal" in the reception area of their new AAG office in Manila. Here are a few pictures of students writing on "AAG Pilipinas Wall Journal"

And here is a nice entry from a previous Work & Travel student that is now applying with AAG Pilipinas for the Internship program.

"I love banquets Family (at JW Marriott in Indianapolis)! USA is the best training site I've been through. Now I'm coming back for an internship! It would be FUN, EXCITING & CHALLENGING to be. I want to travel USA, so...so....soon! AAG is the best! Thanks - Nina

Christmas Traditions in the US

2011-12-15T11:08:00.002-06:00

In the United States, a majority of citizens areChristian and celebrate Christmas. Here are a few traditions that we celebrateacross the U.S. :

In Pennsylvania, the Moravians build a landscape,called a putz - under the Christmas tree. The word "putz" is from the German "putzen" for "to decorate, especially to adorn a church.

The city of Winston-Salem, founded by Moravians in 1766, uses the Moravian star as their official Christmas street decoration.

In Hawaii many families like to eat their Christmas meals at the beach. Sea foods and fresh fruits are popular foods.

In Alaska, during the holiday season, Alaskans often get together with their families to watch dog sled races.

The country's national Christmas tree is lit by the President of the United States. This year's event marked the 89th National Christmas Tree lighting. Watch the video below:

In Boston, carol singing festivities are famous. Thesingers are accompanied by hand bells.

In New Orleans, a huge ox is paraded around the streetsdecorated with holly and with ribbons tied to its horns.

In Arizona, the Mexican ritual called Las Posadas iskept up.

In Colorado, an enormous star is placed on themountain, it can be seen for many kilometers around.

In parts of New Mexico, people place lighted candles inpaper bags filled with sand on streets and rooftops.

In Pasadena, California, the Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day.

And no matter where you are in the U.S. here are a fewtraditions that we all celebrate:

In America the traditional Christmas dinner is roastturkey with vegetables and sauces. For dessert it is rich, fruity Christmaspudding with brandy sauce. Mince pies, pastry cases filled with a mixture ofchopped dried fruit.

The majority of Americans celebrate Christmas with theexchange of gifts and greetings and with family visits. For many, the daybegins on Christmas Eve with the Midnight Mass.

American homes are decorated with holly, mistletoe andbranches of trees, most have a Christmas tree hung with electric lights,tinsel, baubles, and strings of popcorn and candy canes.

How are you celebrating the holidays this year? Click here for more Christmas celebrations around the world.

(info courtesy of wikipedia and:http://www.santas.net/americanchristmas.htm)

What is the number one language spoken in the world?

2011-11-22T15:14:00.001-06:00

Chinese? English? Spanish? Music? Love?

Beeeeep…. Time out and all wrong ;)

Here I am, at the cafeteria, hundreds of students around, itis lunch break and my first real and total immersion in China. I am hungry, Idon’t understand any of the signs. Ok… My turn, deep breathing, what onearth am I going to order? And how? My hands are talking like an Italian, myface makes weird expressions trying to explain that I would just eat anything!

Everyone surprisingly smiles. So I smile back…

I got noodles that day, and noodles for the next 11 days…But I got connection, a unique one. Because this is what the number onelanguage in the world is, understood by anyone on earth and aliens on Mars: THEsmile.

The university hosts 38,500 students, there is this specialenergy that I would not be able to describe into words. You know, the kind ofemotion when you feel the world is in a full-throttle move and you are luckyand grateful to be part of it.

China is a fascinating country, not only by its culture,history, landmarks, but above all, by its people and this amazing youth who isready to experience life like no other generations has before.

I have interviewed students and will remember theface of each every day.

My interview style is pretty different. I don’t ask theusual questions. But in reality, this is how I got the most ofthem, their true personalities, heart, sparks in the eyes, dreams….

To the question: “if you were a super hero, what super powerwould you have?”. You would think “wings to fly”, “be invisible”, “see milesaway”. Nope… the big majority would end poverty in the world, stop naturaldisasters, bring water and food where there is none, carry families to a betterplace, make their grandparents live longer…

“Lady Gaga or Beyonce, Justin Bieber or Usher?”. “MichaelJackson!” “What is your preferred song of Michael?”. “Heal the world”

“Who is the most inspiring celebrity?” “Steve Jobs” “why?”“He stood up for his ideas”

“If you had a plane ticket in your pocket, where would yougo – should not be the USA”. “France”. Good answer, ALL approved!!! ;)

I did not unfortunately have the chance to see the GreatWall during my trip, but I have to tell you, I got so much more than that. Igot smiles from China…

I cannot wait to have them all starting their program, askfor their first impressions, follow their stories throughout the weeks andyears because I am confident that each of them will become one day, their ownway, the Michael, Steve and Super hero they aspire to be.

Vanessa

AAG Participant Shares Dream Cruise Story

2011-11-14T09:59:00.001-06:00

AAG Participant from Thailand shared with us a video from his recent Carnival cruise. Thinking about coming to the U.S.A. for a summer work/travel experience? A cruise is a great way to see a new part of the country and Carribbean while traveling during your 30-day grace period after you finish the program. Apply now fora J-1 Visa in the United States today! We help people write their own stories...including this one:

Go to a Cemetery; Join a Party?

2011-11-01T02:59:00.016-05:00

Discovering new holidays is just one of the benefits of living in another country. Today is November 1st and on this day Filipinos celebrate "All Saints Day". I had heard a little here and there about this rather intriguing holiday so I decided to go check it out for myself. Where did I go to learn how Filipino's celebrate All Saints Day? Why the massive cemetery in North Manila of course! Unfortunately, this cemetery is quite a ways from my home in Makati so I took a bus, train, and finally a sweet tricycle ride to the cemetery (picture of sweet ride below).

I have rarely seen that many people in one place and never, never at a cemetery! The cemetery was huge! I walked for 2 hours and never walked down the same "road". Below was the main thoroughfare.
I am not particularly shy about talking to strangers so I spoke to several locals who were celebrating to find out more about the holiday. Lucky for me the Filipino people are extremely friendly. One made one new friend who was kind enough to give an overall description of the holiday and how he and his family celebrate every year. I have a wonderful video of his description unfortunately I am unable to post it so I'll try and summarize: every year Filipino families gather at the grave sites of their loved ones in order to celebrate their lives and to bring the families closer together. And according to my new friend, the most important part is eating lots and lots of good food!

As with so many Filipino holidays (and many holidays around the world), food plays an important role. I got a whole lot of stares as I strolled along through the cemetery, not sure if it was due to the fact that I am 6' tall and blonde or if everyone was thinking "Really? YOU have relatives buried here?" Perhaps a combination of both? In an effort to fit in I decided to join in the eating! Scarfing down 4 deep fried quail eggs and a pineapple juice from a street vendor for lunch may not have been an incredibly wise decision but pretty tasty!

If you are visiting another country be sure to participate in and learn about that countries holidays and don't be afraid to meet new people, most people don't bite. Oh, and by the way, whenever I pass away I would like for you to bring cookies to my funeral site. I have quite the sweet tooth, much like the fellow bel0w.

Erin - AAG Pilipinas Office Manager

Happy Halloween from AAG Pilipinas

2011-10-28T15:21:00.002-05:00

The Squid

2011-10-06T04:00:00.007-05:00

Naturally, after thoroughly enjoying a giant stuffed squid at a restaurant I wanted to try and cook my own. At the grocery store I could not find any squid so I asked the fish guy if they had any squid. He smiled a smile that said, “Really? YOU are going to be cooking squid?” He directed me toward the below squid. I was disappointed at the size. I plopped a few of them in a bag and started to walk away.
I paused, spun around and asked, “Do you have anything, ummm, bigger?” He laughed out loud and motioned for me to follow him. I won’t tell you where I got it (that’s between me and fish guy) but as you can see from the below picture he obviously understood my “go big or go home” mentality.
I picked up the remaining ingredients I would need for the meat stuffing and rushed home, excited about the prospect of cooking my first ever squid. I had previously found a recipe for cooking octopus. I assumed that squid and octopus are pretty similar so I could cook them the same way (keep in mind that my cooking experience in Austin has been putting cereal in a bowl and adding milk). I only had one fairly small pot so “Tiny (yes, I named my giant squid) had a bit of a cozy fit during his final moments.
I know you are on the edge of your seat now wanting to know just how wonderful my squid turned out. Life isn’t a fairy tale kids. After 20 minutes (according to the octopus recipe) of boiling in it’s own “juices” I wasn’t sure how to check and see if it was done so similar to meat I stabbed it. To my surprise and dismay “Tiny” began to leak black as night ink. Hoping this was just a little that didn’t get washed out I decided to cut “Tiny” open. Not great. I about fell on the floor laughing. Apparently I should have taken the time to get a recipe for an actual squid.
Final product? A lovely meat, garlic, onion and eggplant stuffing with sweet chili sauce. Delicious! Granted not what I had in mind when I first started out but a highly entertaining experience and now I can say that I have cooked a giant squid (I don’t have to include that “Tiny” was not actually edible when all was said and done). So get out there, take a risk and try cooking an international dish!*

Erin – AAG Pilipinas Office Manger/professional chef

*I would recommend trying something other than giant squid for starters

Life in Manila - "How tall ARE YOU?"

2011-09-29T04:45:00.008-05:00

I have had the wonderful opportunity to move to Manila, Philippines as a part of an AAG assignment. So far I love the people, food, city, and my job. I have many things I could write about today but having just gotten off a bus I'll write about a question I hear everywhere I go: "Exactly how tall ARE YOU?" I'm 6 foot tall and I'll tell you a few advantages and disadvantages of being this height while travelling and living abroad. (in the picture below can you guess which one I am???)

Advantage 1: When riding a bus or train if I am standing I am a head above everyone else and it's a bit cooler up where I am.

Disadvantage1: I CAN'T sit on most buses because the seats are to close together and my neighbors generally don't appreciate me putting my legs in their laps.

Advantage 2: If I need to I can easily gain everyone's attention by standing up

Disadvantage 2: I always have people looking at me (can get old at times!) and pointing!

Advantage 3: Some people say I look like a model because I'm tall
Disadvantage 3: Dependent on the person's English level I am often called "huge". Come on people, it's "tall" NOT "huge"!

I could go on and on but point is that as with just about everything in life there are good and "bad" things about being tall. My choice is to focus on the positive which in this case generally just means making fun of myself and laughing at the fact I can't actually sit in a bus. So, if you are travelling overseas just remember you can choose the experience you have. You can have a good attitude and focus on the positive and you'll have a great experience. Focus on the negative and that's exactly the experience you'll have. Now get out there and travel!

Erin - AAG Pilipinas Office Manager

Recruitment Fair in the Philippines

2011-09-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

Send us your resume to usa@allianceabroad.com.ph and let us know you are interested in attending the October 25, 2011 fair with Six Flags! We will have more than 150 positions at Six Flags in food & beverage and hospitality to fill in California, New England and many other U.S. states. What are you waiting for? Don't miss out on your chance to have the time of your life!

AAG Pilipinas

2011-09-26T16:15:00.001-05:00

Thanks to all the LPU Batangas students that attended the Founders Forum last week. AAG' Erin Wingerter (pictured below) was honored to be able to present the J-1 visa work and travel program and the J-1 visa internship program.

Recruting in Brazil

2011-09-20T17:39:00.001-05:00

Justyna just got back from a recruitment trip in Brazil - they had a great time and successfully filled positions for Gaido’s, Fort Rapids Water Park and Kalahari Resorts. But, in case you missed out, we still have positions available for Kalahari so if you are interested please contact your agency! Check out more photos from the trip on Facebook.

Summer Lovin'

2011-09-16T13:37:00.000-05:00

Our Summer Participants from McDonald's in Rock Spring, WY had a great time traveling the Yellowstone National Park -want to check out more photos from their adventure? Check out Facebook!

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

2011-09-13T13:32:00.001-05:00

Wanted to share with you a video that we received form PopsyPop with their Thai participants - they created the adorable video in Thai to bring back home to show the others how much fun they had andpossibly come back with more friends next year!

Goodbye Summer!

2011-09-13T13:13:00.004-05:00

We are saying goodbye to 8 of your students that stayed with us this summer in North Conway, NH. They were fantastic and we will miss them all. We can't wait to meet the winter group while we wait to see who will comeback and join us next summer!

2011-09-13T13:13:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the new and Improved Blog! We hope you come here to get inspired by success stories, and encourage you to share your own! Want to be featuerd on the blog? Just send us a request and we'll be in touch.

Happy reading & safe travels!

-AAG