International Education Week Photo Contest 2022
In celebration of cultural exchange for International Education Week 2022, we hosted our annual photo contest. We asked our participants to submit an aspect of their culture to educate Americans about what makes their culture unique, inspire Americans to travel to their country, and remind everyone that cultural exchanges to the USA are just as educational for Americans!
WINNER - Magdalena Oro Castro / Argentina
I could talk about food, beautiful landscapes, family reunions or a lot of awesome aspects that makes Argentina what it is, but what I really find representative and friendly about our culture is how we celebrate when someone graduates from their career.
When we start studying at the university we always look forward to the day that we graduate because we know it will be a special day just for us, and we will have all our friends and family sharing joy for our achievement.
The Argentine way to do this is to throw paint, eggs, flour, confetti, wine, vinegar or anything you can find to the graduate. Some classmates and friends usually make a colorful poster that says which degree they are getting so everyone knows from a distance what you are celebrating. You might be wondering why someone would want to know that, well… keep reading.
After everyone is satisfied with their work of art, or run out of paint and vinegar, we get in cars or vans to make a "tour" around the city with the new professional in the car trunk, while honking and playing some music, so everyone on the streets can celebrate too. Usually while traffic lights are on red, some graduates also get out of the trunk and dance or jump with their friends.
Finally this kind of "parade" ends with everyone having drinks at a bar or house and partying all day long… no shower included, of course. So when I'm done with my studies everyone is invited!
Thank you to everyone who shared their culture with us!
This particular photo was taken at the “kejetia market”, Kumasi during my visit to the market. I am a big fan of taking unaware pictures. For me this is an amazing inspiration because it shows how our mothers loves us and always struggling to bring food on the table. Thanks to WWCE. - Millicent / Ghana
FILIPINOS: "RICE IS LIFE"
Rice have always been a part of every Filipino’s household. A meal is not complete without a rice, we eat rice in the morning, afternoon, in the evening and if lucky during meriendas (snack) too. Sounds bizarre and too much? Well, that’s just how we Filipinos are. Living in a foreign country where rice is not a staple makes it hard to adjust. My body clings on to the hope that there’s a rice meal option on the menu or maybe I can upgrade my meal to an “unli-rice”. This may be weird but a smell of a cooking rice is heaven to me. Looking back at the picture, not only it made me miss home but it also amazed me on how this beautiful green paddy field that is sustained tirelessly by our farmers plays a vital role in our daily life. We never fail to give thanks to God for providing us the food but what we don’t realize is that you are one of God’s instruments in making it possible for us to have rice, vegetables and fruits on our table. And for that, I want to thank you, our dear farmers, because we are able to sustain our day to day needs. I thank you because without you, we won’t get the chance to bring home and prepare delicious foods. I dedicate this piece to our very hard-working Filipino farmers, the backbone of our nation, who not only gives life to their family but to the whole Philippines. You may have not been receiving enough government assistance and the recognition you deserve but I know there will come a day that the crops that you’ve been planting all this years will flourish and will turn into a greener pasture. Mabuhay po kayo! - Airica / Philippines
Hi, I'm Giulianna and I'm from Peru. I tell you Peru is one of the most diverse countries in South America for its delicious food, culture, beautiful landscapes and beautiful people. This photograph was taken in a small town in Huancavelica, located in a rural area where the cold is unbearable. The photos of the children identify the happiness they have despite the few resources they have. You can see a happy girl with her ram in arms giving love and radiating a big smile of happiness, you can also see the innocence of the child who sees no evil in humanity. In this town since childhood they are dedicated to livestock and agriculture, living from day to day what they harvest from their land. The children represent the deepest part of the Peruvian culture, an anecdote that I can also mention is that these children still maintain one of our native languages, which is Quechua, they still speak and keep alive this language that little by little has been lost. In my next program I want to continue sharing my culture and learn from the American culture in order to open our minds more towards our reality as a world. I invite everyone to get to know my beautiful country that is Peru. - Giulianna / Peru
Peru is a multicultural, multidiverse country, it has 24 departments, 3 regions, coast, mountains and jungle, it has a wonderful cultural and linguistic wealth, it is expressed in 48 original languages where we can also find a variety of customs, beliefs, tourist places and foods that make it unique and special around the world. This photograph was when I visited the Central Jungle of Peru; there is a Native Community called Pampa Michi, located in the city of Chanchamayo, where we find the Ashasninka natives who set up a space to welcome visitors with their typical clothing and songs in their local language, show us their customs, traditions, food and typical dances and they also make you know the flora and fauna, as seen in the image, I am holding a parrot. They make you part of their culture by painting your face, doing so is a sign of respect, affection and welcome to their community, rejecting this action can mean contempt and lack of respect for their customs and traditions. The food in Peru is simply perfect, each city, each city, region and district has a different and unique gastronomy, my favorite food is “el chancho al palo”, this photo is from when I visited Churín with my mom, it is a town near Lima, the capital of Peru, this town is known for its varied meals, the preparation of the "chancho al palo" is first to season the pork with condiments such as salt or pepper, among others and then it is placed between two metal meshes on the charcoal on the ground, this meal is accompanied with rice, potato and onion sarza. As seen in the image, it can be complemented with another typical food of the place called "carapulcra", it is prepared with boiled dry potatoes and stewed with various meats such as chicken, hen and pork, both dishes make living an unforgettable experience and it is the best excuse to get together on a Sunday to eat and have a good time with friends or family, if you come to Peru try it, you will not regret it! The cultural exchange programs are really a great opportunity to be able to share the culture and customs of my country, thanks to this, we can also learn about the cultures of other people in the world and create a connection. - Annel / Peru
THE MONUMENT OF THE AFRICAN RENAISSANCE/MONUMENT DE LA RENAISSANCE AFRICAINE.
This huge master piece towers over every infrastructure in the capital city, Dakar.
It is built on top of the volcanic Mount, “Mamelles” which means breast. This seemingly rustic giant statue is made of bronze. Inside its impressive body is nested a labyrinth with luxurious apartments and a conference room.
The Renaissance monument is the main square of the city of Dakar. It primarily hosts cultural events, that was built for this purpose. There has been only three FESMAN ( World Festival of Black Arts) in the history of Africa and the last one was held here. As I’m writing my caption, the place is bustling with the International fair that exhibits art and crafts. There is no doubt that it is full of shoppers, locals and tourists as well. - About / Senegal
Tacacho with cesina, is the name of this delicious dish.It is a very well known food in my town in Peru, the Cesina is smoked pork meat and and the Tacacho is made of fried sweet plantain in the form of balls, this way you can have a combination of sweet and salty in your mouth.This is an exotic dish, so you will have to travel to certain cities in Peru to find it.
I want to share this dish because it represents one of the cultures of the jungle in Peru, if you ever visit my country, try it you will not regret it! - Djali / Peru
This is some pictures that I took in my camping trip to WADI RUM in the south of Jordan, It’s one of the best deserts in the world cause of the color of the sand and the beautiful mountains, I would like to visit it with my friends to watch the bewitching sunset, after that we go to build our tents in the middle of the desert to start our party, most of the time I would like to make barbecue , the next activity after watching the sunrise is riding our 4*4 car to start our journey between the colorful mountains to do competitions in climbing mountains. This is a great place to visit if you like adventures. - Abdelrahman / Jordan
This is the Galapagos tortoise, the largest of its kind in the whole world! Me, my friend Denise and our friends we made in the J1 progam, Tim and Peighton, took a trip to the Galapagos Islands. People say that the islands are charming, but that is an understatement. Though our cultures are not the same, we all were super excited to discover and explore the marvels these islands harbor. And adventures and stories to tell is what we got. This archipelago holds such a big and important part of evolution: around 9000 species arrived millions of years ago and stayed to create one of the most biodiverse places in the planet. This is the place where Charles Darwin developed his theory about the species. It's also UNESCO protected. Besides this cute buddy in the picture during our stay at Santa Cruz, we found lizards, iguanas, mantarays, blue-footed boobies, sharks and sea lions. We even got to swim with them in San Cristóbal island! We stayed for a week but it was not enough time to visit other islands like Isabela o Fernandina, where you can see flamingos or the only kind of penguins who live in warmer waters. Every day we had something different to do and new delicious Ecuadorian food to taste, plus the locals were very kind to us. I, as an Ecuadorian, was amazed at what this place that might seem small on Google Maps had to offer. By the end of the trip we were very exhausted but glad for all the memories that we created. And the most important part is that, despite our backgrounds come from separate countries, we were all able to immerse into a unique place that represents one of the highlights of Ecuadorian culture: diversity.
Everybody should visit the islands and have this one-of-a-kind experience, because the pictures and videos do not do justice to the paradise it actually is. Feel more than welcome to be an Ecuadorian! - Astrid / Ecuador
These photos are from Junín, Peru. It’s the canyon of “Shucto”. Inkas have lived in this wonderful landscape. This canyon is important for me because it represent calm and serenity. When you reach the top of this attraction you will have a magical view of the place. From this point, the river looks like a gigantic snake. Also, there are the mountains and the sky that seems to be closer than normal. All these elements combine in a great view that you will never forget. Also we have the river from ingenio, it is where the famous fish of Junín ,named “trucha”, live. It’s the emblem of Junín. - Renzo / Peru
These photographs are from when I visited the Iguazú National Park. Located in Argentina, it is a natural heritage of humanity since 1984 and one of the 7 natural wonders of the world since 2011, this is a unique natural universe. Full of life and abundant vegetation, it is the ideal place to connect with nature. Through footbridges, you can enjoy the Saltos and La Selva Misionera. In the Park there are more than 418 different species of birds that coexist with animals such as the jaguar, fish, turtles and caí monkeys. Without a doubt, it is one of the most wonderful landscapes I have visited. - Lucia / Argentina
I chose those pictures because those hills are what represents the most my town. I missed them so much when I were at the United States.
Each time of the day they look different, when the sun hits them you can see all the details but at noon it seems like a painting. - Ines / Argentina
It is hard to express in a right way what Mexican culture is about just with a few words. But I am going to try to explain it in 5 main words. And every picture here represents what those 5 words are: Food, Tradition, History, Nature and Family. Food is a very extensive word, but it is worth it. From the north to the south of the country you will find great options that will melt your mouth in a great way. Traditions are part of what we are and in my country there are special things to share with the world. Día de los muertos, Christmas, the XV años party and more of those represents our essence. History is about feeling the past and after knowing all those stories about our ancestors we learn from them, and improve every day. The Mayan and the Aztecs are just a small part of all the history Mexico has. Nature it is one of my favorite words, because Mexico is a megadiverse country. We have 10% of the species recorded in the world and that is just awesome. I really enjoy spending my time in nature. Family is the most important of all for me. Family in Mexico is about warm, helping and supporting each other and being there for everything. But it also means we are kind people with those who are interest in visiting our amazing country. If you need help we will always give it to you. That is what MEXICO means to me. - Evelin / Mexico