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The people. The people in London have best shaped my understanding of British culture. Talking to people at restaurants and in public and on the train/bus was the best and easiest way to understand the culture. People were very fascinated by our accents and could immediately tell we were from America and from there we were able to talk to people. Other people from America also would talk to us. But learning from locals and people who are also traveling has been the best way to understand their culture. Simply watching people live their daily lives has also helped me understand the culture because their social norms are different. Observing has been a great way to learn

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Corrie, Kennedy, and I were super excited because we knew that one of the houses that the Parent Trap was filmed in is close to where we are staying. We all love that movie and want to go and see it. In reality, it is just a normal house in London but because it is in a movie that we all love, we have been influenced by set tourism. We would not even be able to go in we would just have to take a picture outside and in reality it is not that exciting. I think it can be used as a strategic communication tool just how it was it was for us on our guided tour through Richmond talking about Ted Lasso. Not only did we see places from the show but it also allowed us to see the area and made me want to go back to explain. Created a way for people to talk about the show as well as deepening the emotion and personal connection people have because we got to see the show in real life, in a way.

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Sports create community because it brings people together from all walks of life based on one common interest, the love they have for that team/sport. Even if you don’t have anything else in common, you can simply just talk about the team/game but then that often leads to more conversation and learning about that person. I think working with fans and the public helps to create a sense of loyalty. In my opinion it helps to make the players seem more like people than celebrities. People will tell their friends and family if they had a good interaction with the team or organizations or league. Communication helps to create an emotional connection and that helps to foster long term fans.

- Advertise local hidden gems

- Advertise new restaurants/activities

- Promote weekends as mini vacations

- Have people make lists of things they want to do and create a game out of it and try to fill up a card with set activities and then they win a price or tickets to something in the area

- Create an email list of upcoming events and send it to residents

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I think transportation impacts communication in urban settings because people of all backgrounds use public transportations in the places we have been. We have had to learn to navigate in places where English is not the first language. The bus and trains provide a bridge between languages as it acts as a hub for everyone. We had to rely on social cues as well in order to try and understand where to go. Transportation allows for different types of communication and languages to flourish in new areas. Amsterdam and Paris were harder to navigate than London just because more people speak English than in Amsterdam and Paris. So having to wait until we could read or hear something in English was one barrier and trying to navigate through and around people who didn’t speak English was challenging as well. My one takeaway from Omar was that no matter what you do, do it better than everyone else. Work harder than everyone else. Fully give yourself to whatever you are doing at the time, but also know as long as you do it well you can do whatever you want. Experience new things and use those experiences to help you in your next stage of life. Be present in what you are doing and be consistent!

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In recent months, protesters have flocked to Paris. In your exploration of Paris, what artifacts of protests and resistance have you experienced? If you have seen protest posters or advertising, please include a photo of your findings.

I do not have any pictures of the protests that we saw. I also do not have any pictures of posters. But in Amsterdam we heard the protest on our boat tour and then there was a protest outside of our hotel in Paris. The protester carried mostly flags and signs and used there voices to express there support. When seeing and hearing the protest, I did not think to pull out my phone due do the heaviness of the meaning behind the protests. It is very sad to know how many people are being pushed out of there homes and being killed and I felt like I just needed to be there in silence in order to show my respect. I greatly admire the people who were protesting because they don’t have to but the feel strongly for everyone in need and want to help them in anyway they can, and I think that is a very selfless act that most people would never think to do. There is power in numbers and there is power is standing up for what you believe is right. The protests were another remind to never taken any for granted and that my safety and my families safety is something we are lucky to have. Can not imagine what people are going through right now.

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In recent months, protesters have flocked to Paris. In your exploration of Paris, what artifacts of protests and resistance have you experienced? If you have seen protest posters or advertising, please include a photo of your findings.

I do not have any pictures of the protests that we saw. I also do not have any pictures of posters. But in Amsterdam we heard the protest on our boat tour and then there was a protest outside of our hotel in Paris. The protester carried mostly flags and signs and used there voices to express there support. When seeing and hearing the protest, I did not think to pull out my phone due do the heaviness of the meaning behind the protests. It is very sad to know how many people are being pushed out of there homes and being killed and I felt like I just needed to be there in silence in order to show my respect. I greatly admire the people who were protesting because they don’t have to but the feel strongly for everyone in need and want to help them in anyway they can, and I think that is a very selfless act that most people would never think to do. There is power in numbers and there is power is standing up for what you believe is right. The protests were another remind to never taken any for granted and that my safety and my families safety is something we are lucky to have. Can not imagine what people are going through right now.

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Versailles represents the opulence of the bygone French Monarchy; what role does it play in French culture today? How does it communicate the dissonance of France’s past and present?

Versailles was at the heart of the revolution. It was built as an expression of power and authority. It was also a place for the less wealthy to come and connect with the king. Everything used to construct and decorate the palace was also from France during the time. It was a place for multiple generations of French royal families.

Now it is used for a number of things and provides a place to learn about the France history. The Palace of Versailles hosts numerous of operas, concerts, gala evenings and ballets including the Royal Opera and the Royal Chapel. Just as it did when it was being built, it still provides many jobs for people in Versailles. It stays a place to carry on the legacy of how the French came into power and keeps the history alive.

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I did not take a picture of my lunch today but it was delicious!! I tried a croque monsieur. It came with a side of mixed greens and fries, which were also very good! I then had some bubble tea from a small place near the restaurant that we ate at and it had lots of fun drink options! Obviously had to treat myself to a Coke Zero on our way back to the hotel and then for dinner Tessa, Corrie, Kennedy, and I grabbed two pizzas to split! It was super good! The drinks on the left are essentially like bubblrs and Tessa and I had those to drink with dinner! After dinner I had a raspberry macaron with vanilla filling, super good! Overall, Good day of eating. 😊

Bonjour! Now that you have experienced Paris for a day, how has food shaped your understanding of French culture? Include a photo of foods you have tried.

Much like we saw in Amsterdam, dining is a very social activity. Most people when sitting down to eat, sit for a long time to. They eat slow and have lengthy conversations over food. When we were eating lunch today, we sat down after most of the people there and got up to leave before most of the people were done. We did have to meet at a certain time but I think the simplicity of connecting over food as shaped French culture. Because of that French culture is not based around work where in America we see that often. I think food has created a good work-life balance and that shapes a culture. How people view working greatly impacts a society in terms of shared values among everyone. For example, people here in France appreciate sitting down together and taking time to eat a long lunch or dinner and aren’t concerned about the money they are missing out on. In America, that is not the case.

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What elements of Dutch culture have you most enjoyed? Have you encountered any moments of culture shock or miscommunication in your experiences in and around Amsterdam?

I have greatly enjoyed how everyone walks. I love walking and wish it was more common back home. The air feels cleaner and more fresh here. Other than the fact that we are American, people do not care what you are doing or what you look like because everyone is minding their own business. Although it has been hard for me to understand if people work because there has been people everywhere, I have enjoyed how quite people are and no one EVER sits on there phone at dinner. Everyone just enjoys the company of others, which I think Should be taken back to the states and is something I have greatly enjoyed experiencing in Amsterdam. I LOVED the countryside and love the stillness and peacefulness of it and the way people live. Almost disconnected in a way, I adore it. I would love to come back and spend more time here!!

The craziest thing to me is the fact that water is not free unless you ask for it from the tap, which some places don’t do, and the glasses that they come in are so SMALL. Like people have to be dehydrated all the time? Idk. Crazy. The other thing that was culturally shocking was that we have to pay to use the bathroom, something I will never take for granted back home. Also, people here don’t have manners and never say excuse me or thank you or sorry for walking in front of you. On the streets people will also walk in the middle of our group instead of going around. That makes me so upset, as well as the amount of slow walkers there are around here, very frustrating and created culture shock. Along with all that, there is no where similar to a Target or Walmart. It took me almost two whole days to find socks!!! Weird! They also never split the bill? So that is different. I also had a miscommunication with a lady today because she thought I ordered two ice cream cones, which I did not, but thank goodness I did because I dropped the first one.

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My camera roll is bloomin after a day at Keukenhof. 🌷

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Caption ^^^ (Instagram)

Other facts/things to put into caption:
- Open Sundays and Holidays!
- Tickets range from €19,50 - €23,00
- Can buy a ticket that combines the cost of entry and parking.
- Celebrating 75 years of Tulips!
- Make sure you don’t want through the tulip beds. Keep to the path.

After learning more about the Dutch flower industry, create a social post highlighting elements of the culture and flower industry.

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Welkom! Find a Dutch news outlet, whether print or digital. Tell us what the name of the news outlet is. What topics is the Dutch media focused on? Are there noticeable differences in headlines and the types of coverage compared to major U.S. news outlets? What local issues are you drawn to learn more about, and why?

Name: Dutch News
Topics: Drag Queen and Drivers, EU migrant workers, Man abusing young girls online, Man died due to falling out of a recycling bin, etc.

The biggest difference I saw is over the years America has switched to writing and covering news in a way that is more neutral and the Dutch News wrote about whatever was relevant no matter the political position.

I was drawn to the story about Drag queens and drivers: Amsterdammers unite over. I was interested in learning more about this story because especially in South Dakota the art of Drag is thought as wrong whereas here they were supporting them.

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What did you do prior to leaving that impact where you land on the process?

Anticipation: I did a lot of prep before leaving. Making sure I had everything made it easier for me to relax and look forward to the trip. I got my nails done, got a wax, went shopping for clothes and other toiletries, and went to the bank to get Euros and Pounds!!!

Where am I now?

I think I am in the honeymoon phase. Today/last night was super long and I am exhausted but looking forward to what the rest of the week has to bring!! I think after a good night sleep I will start to work my way toward the adjustment phase!!