Jordyn Sample's photos from Costa Rica

This picture was taken at the Tamalada held at the Costa Rica Center; to me, this picture represents community and the relationships we leave behind in places that we've visited.


Jordyn Sample - 4 Dec 2011 (300 DPI)
This picture is of students at the Tamalada held at the Costa Rica Center; I chose this picture because it shows the connections we have made to others during this year.


Jordyn Sample - 7 March 2011 (300 DPI)
This picture is of a river in Boruca, Costa Rica; this picture was inspired by my reading The Hobbit after which I saw the forest as a magical place.


Jordyn Sample - 5 March 2011 (300 DPI)
This picture is of a bus ride from Boruca, Costa Rica to Buenos Aires, Costa Rica that I took during my 2 week independent study; I took this picture because it represents some of the interesting experiences we are confronted with in our travels of the world.


Jordyn Sample - 3 March 2011 (300 DPI)
This picture is of the Talamanca mountains from a cliff in Boruca, Costa Rica; I liked this picture because the I found the nature extending as far as the eye can see to be inspiring.

Melannie Levine's photos from Africa and the USA

A wonderful evening spent with Friends World alumni and, soon-to-be, the first Global College alumni in Brooklyn, New York!


Having only just arrived into the United States two days prior (coming from Uganda), Brooklyn greeted me like it is the new Winter Wonderland. This picture was taken right outside of the place I have been living at for this semester.


A few of President Museveni's supporters resting after a full day of rallying.


At the time that I took this photo, President Yoweri Museveni had been in power in Uganda for over 25 years. This rally took place in the Mbale region where I was living for my Independent Study semester. Several months later, the results came back that Museveni won the presidential election again...for his 6th term in office.


A few students like Molly decided to spend a Sunday with Harlem Grown in Harlem, New York clearing and bettering a city garden.

Greta Robinson's photos from Costa Rica and Panama

The city scape of Panama City from the tourist district.


One of the long-boat canoes that the people of the Kuna Yalla tribe in Panama use to fish and travel from island to island.


Taken on a walk through Panama city just after visiting the half empty skyscrapers in the upper-class districts.


A spider in the Chinese gardens at a Chinese school we visited in Panama.


Some of the Costa Rica center freshman enjoying the Costa Rican sun on the first day of classes second semester.

Ariel Mallet's photos from Costa Rica

Greta Robison planting a tree while participating in Service Learning and working on an organic farm.

A hibiscus flower, a tropical plant found throughout Costa Rica.

Banana boats on the side of the river in Talamanca, later in the semester we would later travel to Sarapiqui and learn about Banana plantations.

2. The Australian (Lukas Murphy) I met living here in Costa Rica who accompanied me on my trip from coast to coast. The sunset is reflected in his sunnies.

Taken at sunset on Playa Hermosa as part of a trip to see the sunrise on the east coast and the sunset on the west coast in one day.

Emma Shull's photo from China

Shanghai Market: This photo was taken in Shanghai's old market, where anything from new silk wardrobes to classic Chinese paintings could be bought. This picture, to me, represents traditional architecture accommodating a modern and over-populated China.

Melannie Levine's photos from Africa

Campaigning on Nomination and Registration Day for Rabbi Gershom Sizomu who is the first rabbi, outside of Israel, to run for any government position in the world.

Women entering the Ali Al-Gazaal Mosque - Makudui, Mbale District, Eastern Uganda where I attended almost every Friday.

All Saints Church of Uganda - Makudui, Mbale District, Eastern Uganda where I have attended almost every Sunday.

Giraffes roaming freely the in distance - Murchinson Falls National Park, Northern Uganda.

Good morning Africa! - Sunrise in Murchinson Falls National Park, Northern Uganda.

Our bags are packed; we're ready to go! - Global College students, Elsa and Melannie, on the move for a week in Uganda.

Olivea M. Martin's photos from Costa Rica and Panama

Taken October 20, 2010. This picture was taken during my service learning trip in Samara on
the beautiful beach of Buena Vista. We didn't have electricity so we
sat at night in candle light and I liked this change from using lights.

Taken November 9, 2010. We arrived on boat to the most beautiful deserted island in Bocas Del Toro, and as I walked down this beach my friend and I stumbled upon this beautiful tree that had fallen. The water kept splashing against this unique tree, and my friend happen to be in the middle of it. I love unexpected moments.

Lorena Dame's photos on CRC

This picture is cups of coins for an offering to the Buddha, was taken in Chaing Mai, Thailand at the temple 'Wat Lok Molee', established some time during the fifteenth century.

It is custom to take of your shoes before entering many buildings such as temples, houses, and even some businesses in Thailand. This was taken of a novice monk's sandal that was sitting on a rack of full of the same blue and white sandals outside of the classroom the CRC students taught English in.

After a fun day of working in the rice fields and sweet potato farm with the CRC students, the novice monks grilled up the harvested sweet potatoes as a pre-dinner snack while we were visiting and studying at the monastery in Northern Thailand.

This was taken at the temple, 'Wat Suan Dok' in Chaing Mai, Thailand. The prayer flags in Thailand have different meanings based on their color and when they are tied around something like a tree or a statue, it creates a sacred space.

These were made by the novice monks who live, work, and study at a Buddhist monastery near the Thailand/ Burma border. The CRC students stayed there for a week to learn about Buddhist meditation and to teach English to novice monks and at a Burmese refugee camp.

Stephen Schneider's from CRC

10 November 2010: The CRC students visited a very old temple on a mountain in Northern Thailand and were able to offer and receive blessings from the head monk.

21 November 2010: This photo was taken during an evening walk in the city of Taipei, Taiwan. CRC had just been released from lectures during the day. Magnolia Morris and I decided to stretch our legs and take photos. We were peeking into an antiques shop and I saw this reflection on the windowpane.

5 November 2010: The last night of our meditation retreat in Thailand, we celebrated our new friendships with the monks by lighting lanterns and sending them into the air. This photo captures a young monk and a lighter colliding.

3 November 2010: During a visit to schools in Northern Thailand, the CRC are students became the guests of honor as several children performed local dances and acrobats. Julia, on the left, was kneeling next to our teacher Ven. Pra Chai who was close to several soldiers standing by as we all watched the amazing performance. When I looked over at them all taking photos of the same thing, I laughed and remembered how similar we humans are, despite the different uniforms we are wearing.

27 November 2010: A plethora of Buddha statues surround a prominent temple in the city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Most of them are still intact and in full repair. Others, however, like this one, are missing a few parts. The Buddhists who offer the temple alms and offerings nevertheless decided to lay a plastic cup of water at the feet of this sitting Buddha. Hopefully, his thirst has been quenched.

Elena Kaye-Schiess' photos from China

During a stay on a tea farm in Suichang, Zhejiang Province I helped three women pick tea on the mountains carved with tea bushes. These women begin work from 6am to 6pm everyday throughout the harvest season and live at the tea farm owner's house, returning to their homes only after the harvest season is over. In the off-season they work in clothing factories or raise pigs.

During a stay on a farm in Jilin province just next to the border of North Korea, my 'host brother' and I helped turn over a family's trailer that had tipped from the weight of brush. This family, like most families in the village, was preparing for winter by gathering dried corn stalks and sticks to feed their cows and use as firewood throughout the winter.

Before the sun sets Wang Peng's mom spreads Huajiao out to dry on their cement rooftop, everyone in their village relies on picking Huajiao (a spice used in most Sichuan dishes) for their main income.

My friend Cheng Yuan and I enjoy a rest on a mountaintop in Aba, Sichuan province. After spending a month working for an environmental NGO on a nearby mountain we accompanied our friend, Wang Peng, to his home village where just two years ago everyone's houses had been destroyed by the earthquake.

During a stay on a farm in Jiangsu province my host family and I caught fish on the local fish farm for dinner, price for fishing that evening: one pack of cigarettes paid to the fish-farm boss.

Anna Vreeland's photos from China

Wishing Windchimes - Wishes create beautiful sound and spread to the wind.

Taiji - Emma Shull does taiji amongst the bamboo.

I Wish For Love - Hanging in the courtyard are wind chimes, left with people's prayers for love.

Chinese Wooden Crafts Market - We visited a bamboo park in Anji, China and afterwards we got to enjoy the crafts market.

Calm Pond - A visit to Shaoxing, China led us to a very calm and peaceful spot.