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Things to do in Costa Rica

In addition to the formal courses and academic activities, students at the Costa Rica Center participate in many extra-curricular activities that enhance student life and enrich learning. These may vary from one semester to the next depending on opportunities available and students' interests. Below is a list of some of the activities students have participated in throughout the past few years.

  • Weekly movie night at the Center
  • Cultural day trips organized by students and staff (i.e. local fairs, hikes, museums, etc.)
  • Student-organized weekend field trips
  • Yoga classes and yoga festival
  • Latin popular dance classes at the Center in the Fall semester
  • Pot-luck Thanksgiving lunch with host families and staff's families
  • Holiday celebration with host families, with tamales and talent show
  • Weekly Living Latin American Activities open to all (i.e. go to plays, concerts, etc.)
  • Festival del Sur: An end-of-the- year arts performance in a theater featuring presentations by students and staff
  • Student-generated service projects
  • Volunteer work in La Carpio on Fridays (working with Fundación Humanitaria Costarricense)
  • Projects generated from independent study or service learning (i.e. fire dancing, building of solar oven, weekly visit to organic market, etc.)
  • Student leadership positions and participation on the Student Success Team
  • Participation in various committees (academic committee, environmental committee, health and safety committee, web page committee, etc.)
  • Participation in Community Meetings

...And many more! At LIU Global students have a voice to request, lead and participate in activities at the center and in the community.

Other things to do in Costa Rica

Besides having the opportunity to visit pristine beaches, lush rainforests, active volcanoes, and other natural wonders, the cultural scene in Costa Rica is incredibly diverse and caters to all interests. Here are some links to webpages that advertise cultural events taking place in Costa Rica:

GAM Cultural

A monthly brochure (printed and online) that has a calendar of cultural events (exhibits, theater, film, music, dance, shows, workshops, literature, etc.), color-coded by type.

issuu.com/gamcultural

Red Cultura

A webpage that promotes cultural events in Costa Rica.

www.redcultura.com/

Monthly schedule of cultural activities organized by the Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud (Costa Rican Ministry of Culture and Youth):

www.mcj.go.cr/actualidad/agenda_cultural.aspx

ICT

The webpage for the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (Costa Rican Institute of Tourism).

www.visitcostarica.com

Things to do in India

At India Center, besides the regular academic curriculum, students participate in extra-curricular activities which enhances their cross-cultural interaction, leadership, healthy recreation, self- discipline and self- confidence. Below is a list of some of the representative activities students have participated in the past:

  • Student-organized weekend outing/trips
  • Thanks Giving Celebration with the Staff/Faculty
  • India Center Habba: Atmosphere of celebration surrounding the students AMAZING work completed at the end of semester
  • Participation in Celebration of Indian festivals with the community
  • Participation in various committees at the Center Level
  • Student leadership positions and participation on the Student Success Team
  • Student organize bonding activities for the students and staff
  • Cultural representation/performance at the Center
  • Fortnightly movie nights/evenings at India Center
  • Exposing students to Cuisine – modes of India at the Center.

Apart from undertaking the above, students are helped by the following in their sociocultural exposure in Bangalore:

“Jaga”

The Poets’ Summit- Students can go and share their poems /creativity with budding established poets/critics of the town at this open platform where likeminded creative people meet on weekly basis.

Alliance Francaise de Bangalore- Indo French institution:

Brochure/ calendar provided on Cultural events, Art exhibitions, Plays, musical Performance at the Indo French Institution.

Time Out Magazine

Provides monthly Calendar with events/ happenings in and around Bangalore.

Webpage on Events in Bangalore:

www.mybangalore.com

Art and Culture:

www.discoverbangalore.com/dance.htm

www.buzzintown.com/bangalore/venue--karnataka-chitrakala-parishath

Things to do in China

Courses at China Center in general:

  • Chinese history
  • Chinese philosophy
  • Chinese calligraphy and painting
  • Chinese martial arts
  • Mandarin

Field trips outside Hangzhou that students may participate in:

Suichang County

About one month after arriving in China, students have the opportunity to travel to the small town of Suichang in Zhejiang Province. Here students will live in this rural mountain community with local Chinese families for one week during the National Day holiday, also called Golden Week in East Asia.

Beijing

Students will have the opportunity to visit the capital of China in early November of fall semester for a period of seven to ten days. Activities in Beijing are an integral and important part of the Area Studies course, Modern Chinese History.

Shanghai

Students will have the opportunity to visit this exciting and dynamic cosmopolitan city to view the colonial architecture along the Bund, the Shanghai Museum, People's Square and to see a contemporary play and Shanghai jazz performance.

Suzhou

A weekend trip will be taken to Suzhou from Hangzhou by overnight boat on the Grand Canal, the historic main channel of transportation in the southern region.

Yunnan/Tibet (TBA)

Soon after the students arrive for the spring semester, there will be an opportunity to participate in a trip to southwestern Yunnan province as part of the Area Studies course on Chinese ethnic minorities.

Shaoxing

Students may visit the former residence of Lu Xun, one of the greatest Chinese writers of the twentieth century, Qiu Jin, one of the greatest feminists and female revolutionaries of the same period, and Lu You, a famous poet and writer of the twelfth century who is also known for his own personal tragic love story.

Hangzhou Tour

  • Grotto carvings of Lingy in Monastery
  • Boating on West Lake
  • Daoist fortune telling at Baopu Abbey
  • Lunch at Fenghuang Mosque
  • Hike to Liuhe Pagoda
  • Tomb of Yue Fei
  • Japanese War Memorial
  • Visit to a state commune
  • Participate in a mass wedding
  • Acupuncture clinic and qi gong demonstration
  • National tea museum
  • National silk museum
  • Zhejiang Provincial Museum
  • Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts

Students not only have courses in China center but also participate in many extra-curricular activities

  • Scavenger hunt in Hangzhou
  • Cultural movie night at Center
  • Student-organized weekend field trips (i.e. water towns near Hangzhou)
  • Mid-autumn festival celebration
  • Thanksgiving party with foreign students in school and staff's families
  • Holiday celebration with Chinese students, local residence and staff's family.
  • Hangzhou Activities open to all (i.e. karaoke, concerts, etc.)
  • Culture lectures, inviting people from different background to communicate with students (i.e. Tibetan)
  • Language exchange (study buddy for mandarin)
  • Intercultural workshop, world café, inviting Chinese students to discuss the intercultural topics including stereotypes, value differences, and global views between Americans and Chinese.
  • Student-generated service projects
  • Internship for local English magazine, newspaper and website.
  • Projects generated from independent study (i.e. acupuncture, Beijing Opera, photography, Chinese martial arts, design, Chinese instruments and etc.)
  • School sports teams (i.e. football, rugby)
  • Student leadership positions and participation on the Student Success Team
  • Participation in various committees (academic committee, environmental committee, health and safety committee, web page committee, etc.)
  • Participation in Community Meetings