International Superstitions

Happy Friday the 13th!!

Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day according to superstitions in many regions. The exact reason why Friday the 13th is so unlucky but one theory suggests it is an agglomeration of two older superstitions: that the number 13 is bad luck and that Friday is the most unlucky day of the week. In honor of Friday the 13th, we're going to look at some superstitions from around the world!

United Kingdom
Women in Ancient Britain carried acorns in their pockets to stay young looking. The oak tree was believed to provide longevity and to ward off illness due to its long life.

In n 19th century England, men avoided salads if they wanted to start a family. It was believed that lettuce was detrimental to child-bearing because it was a 'sterile' plant.

Turkey
Turkish superstitions say that if you chew gum at night, you are chewing the flesh of the dead. Better stick to mouthwash!

Spain
Instead of kissing on New Year's when the clock strikes midnight people eat grapes! Eating twelves grapes at midnight to bring in the New Year is believed to give you twelve months of good luck. 

Japan
In Japan, if a hearst passes you by, or you walk by a graveyard, you must tuck your thumbs in to protect your parents. This is because the Japanese word for thumb literally translates as "parent-finger" and so by hiding it you are protecting your parents from death.

There is also a popular belief that when you see a spider in the morning, it will bring good luck. On the other hand, it is bad luck to come across a spider during night time. 

Russia
In Russia, if a bird defecates on you, your car or your property it's good luck, and may bring you riches. The more birds involved, the richer you'll be!

Whistling in a home is verboten, as it is believed to bring bad luck (and is considered rude). Also, when gifting someone flowers, make sure it is an odd number of stems—no dozen roses—because even numbers of flowers honor the deceased. Further, yellow flowers symbolize infidelity and are considered a relationship curse.

Italy
Friday the 17th is considered an unlucky day rather than Friday the 13th in Italy. 

Sweden
Some Swedish manhole covers bear the letter K, which stands for kallvatten (clean water) but is also widely believed to stand for kärlek, love. The other half has an A for avloppsvatten, meaning sewage, but interpreted as a symbol for avburten, signaling heartbreak or bad luck in love. You can guess which ones locals hop around to avoid touching. They say the bad luck can be reversed if the person who accidentally treads on an A receives three pats on the back—though it must be happenstance.

China
Chances are the hotel you stay at in China will be missing a fourth floor. Four is considered unlucky as it sounds like the word for death. Understandably, four also is avoided in hospital floor and room numberings. The number eight, however, sounds like the Chinese word for fortune; 888 is considered a jackpot number, and many try to time important life events like marriages to dates that include eight. Case in point: officials scheduled the Beijing Summer Olympics to begin precisely at 8 p.m. on 8/8/2008.

Do you know of any other interesting superstitions? Comment below!

Hope you have a lucky Friday the 13th!!

Public Speaking Tips and Resources

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had a lovely break and aren't too busy with preparing for finals!

Before break International Reach had a fantastic Training Social! Alex Zielske facilitated a workshop on public speaking where volunteers learned some helpful tips, developed important speaking skills and even got a few chances to practice! Alex has kind enough to share some of the resources he uses to learn about public speaking for those of you who couldn't attend the training social.

Here are some of the useful video resources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edEs4sjlmJY Guy Kawasaki ( 12 Lessons I learned from Steve Jobs)

•  Guy an excellent public speaker with great stage presence, humor, and storytelling abilities. This video is engaging and has some really helpful insight. Definitely worth watching!

Guy Kawasaki has another video from a keynote speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSlwuafyUUo) in which he describes the '10-20-30 rule' 

• One great tip Alex mentioned in his presentation is the '10-20-30 rule'. Learn more specifically about this awesome tip with this segment! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M13SObffog)

Another tip Alex mentioned was Power Posing- learn more about that with Amy Cuddy's video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc

• social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how "power posing" -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don't feel confident -- can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success. 

Want to learn more? Here are some bonus materials!

Confidence in Public Speaking: Paul E. Nelson and Judy C. Pearson.

Dale Carnegie: The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking (one of the first popular 'public speaking textbooks').
The Compleat Facilitator: Howick and Associates (From a local facilitation and business negotiation company here in Madison).

UNHCR eCentre: Designing Participatory Workshops

TED talks: www.ted.com/talks (also the unofficial TEDx talks)

Using Narrative to Send a Message

Using Storytelling as a Persuasion Tool
(Excerpts from an article entitled "To Persuade People, Tell Them a Story"  by Dennis Nishi)
-http://tinyurl.com/m8cyvpy

Find ways to connect with your audience on an emotional level, says Mr. Atkinson. Neuroscientists have discovered that most decisions—whether people realize it or not—are informed by emotional responses. Do some legwork to find significant events in your audience's lives or your own that you can base your story on or use to reinforce your points, he says.
This can include dropping in anecdotes about taking care of a sick family member or a memorable customer story, says Mr. Smith, now a corporate trainer and author of "Lead With a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives That Captivate, Convince, and Inspire." 

Mr. Smith's book mentions a story told by a single mother to P&G about the trade-offs that she made to support her children. Her experiences, more than anything else that year, convinced P&G executives to lower their price on shortening.

Mr. Atkinson suggests organizing your story into three acts and starting by establishing context. You want to let your audience know who the main characters are, what the background of the story is, and what you'd like to accomplish by telling it, he says. You might open, for example, by describing a department that's consistently failed to meet sales goals. 

Move on to how your main character—you or the company—fights to resolve the conflicts that create tension in the story, Mr. Atkinson says. Success may require the main character to make additional capital investments or take on new training. Provide real-world examples and detail that can anchor the narrative, he advises.

The ending should inspire a call to action, since you are allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions about your story versus just telling them what to do. Don't be afraid to use your own failures in support of your main points, says Mr. Smith.

Whatever you do, don't preface your story with an apology or ask permission to tell it. Be confident that your story has enough relevance to be told and just launch into it, says Mr. Smith. Confidence and authority, he says, help to sell the idea to your audience.
 

Speaking Tips

Speaking Tips for Engaging Your Audience
(Excerpts from an article entitled "Captivate Your Listeners with these Speaking Tips" by Rita J King
-  http://tinyurl.com/kakrhoe

International Reach is hosting another training social! On November 21st at 5pm Alex Zielske will be facilitating a workshop on public speaking skills. Here's a few speaking tips as a preview!

What's the hook? 

•  What is the goal of your presentation? Why does the audience care about the topic? What do you want them to get out of your presentation?

Keep it concise!

• Trying to cover too much information will loose your audience. Think of a few key points you want to make.

Don't Memorize

• Memorizing a speech word for word is difficult and it makes it more likely that you will get flustered and mess up. It also sounds less natural to the audience. Know the main points and fill in the gaps with a natural flow of words.

Practice!
 Practicing makes you more prepared. Be sure to practice out loud to your friends, family, cat, ect. Practicing in your end takes less time and you'll under estimate how long your speech is.

For more public speaking tips, be sure to come to International Reach's Training Social !! 

See you there!
 

Halloween Around the Globe

Halloween is derived from "All Hallows Eve", which refers to the night before the Western Christian feast of All Hallows on November 1st. All Hallows starts the beginning of Hallomas, which is a time dedicated to remembering the dead. Halloween started in Celtic countries, like Ireland but has now spread across the globe. In the United States, it is celebrated with trick-or-treating, costume parties, jack-o-laterns and haunted attractions.

How is Halloween celebrated in the rest of the world?!

Hong Kong: Yue Lan 
Also known as Festival of the Hungry Ghosts. This holiday emphasis is less on celebration, rather it is an opportunity to give gifts to spirits of the dead to provide comfort and ward them off. 

                                               Food being offered to the deceased at a Buddhist Temple

Israel: Purim
Israel celebrates a Jewish holiday called Purim. Purim commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from a plot to destroy them. According to the Book of Esther, Haman, royal vizier to King Ahasuerus, planned to kill all the Jews in the empire, but his plans were foiled by Mordecai and his adopted daughter Queen Esther.The day of deliverance became a day of feasting and rejoicing. Purim is celebrated by giving gifts of food and drink (mishloach manot), giving charity to the poor, and a celebratory meal. Other customs include drinking wine, wearing costumes and public celebration, which is why many people compare Purim to Halloween.The Talmud says to also drink until you can't tell the difference between 'Cursed is Haman, Blessed is Mordechai'.

                                          Hamantaschmen (Haman's Pockets) are cookies that are eaten on Purim
Romania:
Halloween in Romania is celebrated around the myth of "Dracula" on 31 October. The spirit of Dracula is believed to live there because the town was the site of many witch trials; these are recreated today by actors on the night of Halloween. The most successful Halloween Party in Transylvania is taken place in Sighisoara, the citadel where Vlad the Impaler (aka Dracula) was born.

                                                                                       Dracula

Mexico: El Dia de los Muertos
Also known as Day of the Dead. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.

                                                                       Ofrenda de Día de Muertos

What are your Halloween plans?! Let us know in the comments!!

How to Give a Dynamic Presentation

 "The mind is a wonderful thing. It starts working the minute you're born and never stops working until you get up to speak in public." (Unknown source) 


Presenting information in a engaging and dynamic way is not only more enjoyable for the audience but it also helps them better remember your information!

Here are some quick tips on how to make a presentation more dynamic and more engaging for the audience. 

• Talk to your audience, not at them   
• Know your audience! It's important to know who you are talking to so you can gauge what they are interested in and what format to present in.
• Be excited! Nonverbal communication is crucial when presenting. The audience can tell if you are interested in what you're speaking about!
• Utilize stories and emotions - this makes you more rateable and more memorable
• Engage the audience with senses- try to use a couple different learning styles (visual, audio, kinetic). Use music, objects, games ect to keep your audience's attention. A little creativity goes a long way.
• Eye-contact!! This is very important when presenting. Try not to over rely on PowerPoint or notes
• Make your presentation interactive. Try switching up your presentation by including some group activities. This is especially useful for students who are in lectures all day long!
• Conclude with a strong ending. At the end of your presentation make sure to summarize your key points and tie it all together

What are some dynamic presentations you've been to?? Comment below on what made them memorable!

We're Off to a Busy Start!

Our Reach volunteers have been super busy! Here are some of the things they've been up to:

Wednesday, September 18th- Ana Porras gave a presentation at LaFollette high school about Colombian geography and culture.

Thursday 9/19- Sunday 9/21 several of our volunteers helped out at Madison's 10th Annual World Music Festival by introducing some of the bands. Shout out to Cecilia Wester, Jeanne Essame, Meareg Amare, Lily Khadempour, Maria Sonia Ares Gomez, and Blanca Llodra for doing an awesome job!

Jeanne introducing Christine Salem

We also have a ton of exciting upcoming events!
On October 8th from 5:30-7:00pm we're having a training social! Come join us for free food, fun, and a great, interactive presentation on intercultural dialogue.

WUD Global Connections is doing an educational event on October 16th. The event will be a discussion on Egypt/ Syria and will feature a panel of American and international students to give their opinions, experiences, and thoughts of the issue.

They are doing a similar event November 14th but with a focus on Israel/ Palestine

November 14th is also World Languages Day! Several of our volunteers are participating by doing an engaging presentation in front of 50 high schools students.

We're also looking to bring back Storytime! We ask for volunteers to read a story from their own childhood to Madison's kids. If you're interested email reach@studentlife.wisc.edu for more details!

See you all soon!

Presentation Tips 

Ensuring a Great Presentation in the First 60 Seconds
(Excerpts from an article entitled "Nailing a Great Presentation in the First 60 Seconds" by Bruce Kasanoff - http://tinyurl.com/nswtnf2) 

Whether you are making a presentation at your local library or to senior executives at your firm, the first 60 seconds set you up for success or failure.

The first 60 seconds you spend in front of an audience are pivotal. If you're nervous or too excited, time can be a blur. But this is when the audience decides whether or not they like you, and it's your best opportunity to get in a groove that will guide you through the rest of your presentation.

Here are some suggestions:

• Plan your opening in advance. You should know exactly how you are going to open your speech. Just as people do when meeting a stranger, audiences will notice your body language, confidence level and demeanor. Don't just focus on what you will say; practice your movements and tone. Look for ways to signal that you are a person with a valuable message to share.
• If at all possible, prepare the room in advance to your liking. If you like to move around, give yourself room to move. If you feel more comfortable in one place, set up any aids (water, notes, clicker...) so they are easy to access. Make sure the lighting is right. The worst thing you can do is to step in front and start fumbling around.
• Expect the unexpected. I've had 45 hung-over people show up for a "major keynote speech" (lesson: never be the first speaker of the morning in a casino) and 500 show up for a "casual little discussion." At one event in an arena, all the lights went off while I was speaking, then back on again 30 seconds later. No matter what happens, your role is to remain calm and composed. If you do this, you will win over the room. I actually rehearse how I might react to unexpected occurrences.
• Be immediately interesting. Even if you have housekeeping notes or details to go over with the audience, don't start with these! First, build a rapport and demonstrate that you are both in control and worth their attention. Audiences are happy to support a speaker, once they recognize his or her talents.
• If you are terrified, use that terror to your advantage. As part of your planned opening, say something that either acknowledges your anxiety or makes it seem like good acting. In the past, I've opened with stories that began, "If it seems like I'm nervous, it's because _____" and then wove that into a joke, cautionary tale or vivid example of what we'd be focused on in my session.

How to Nail the First 60 Seconds of Your Presentation from Bruce Kasanoff

Reach has a new Program Assistant!

Hi All!

Welcome to Madison- we are very excited to have you here! I hope you're all adjusting well, enjoying your classes and taking advantage of the beautiful, warm weather while it lasts. I'm Allison Blader- I'll be replacing Maggie Streeten at Reach because she has graduated and is leaving for Senegal with the Peace Corps soon!

I'm a senior majoring in International Studies with certificates in Global Health and Gender &Women's studies. Before working for Reach, I had my time as an international student. I spent a semester in Israel at the University of Haifa where I studied Peace & Conflict studies, attempted to speak Hebrew, and ate my weight in hummus.

                                                                             Representing UW-Madison in Haifa!

  I also spent a semester in Sri Lanka where I did a research project on women's health, explored, and ate my weight in curry.

Being an ambassador and teaching my host siblings how to dance Backstreet Boy style

 

 

 

 

I'm thrilled to be starting at Reach and I have tons of fun, new ideas for us! I can't wait to meet and work with all of you. I'm sure you are all drowning in homework already but feel free to stop by and say hi at the ISS office.

For those who don't know and to remind those who do:
Make sure to check out our Facebook page
We're also on Twitter
And we have a website !

Feel free to email me at reach@studentlife.wisc.edu with any questions or if you (or a friend) is interested in joining Reach! Also, don't forget to come to our orientation session on Tuesday, Septemper 17th at 5pm in Mezzanine C  above the ISS offices.

Can't wait to meet all of you!

Best,

Allison

Back at Reach, New Semester, New Twitter, New Orientations!

Hello Everyone!

First of all, I want to say WELCOME to all of the new international students excitedly roaming the streets of Madison! I was lucky enough to meet lots of you at the ISS Orientation last week and I hope that you all managed to find the grocery store and purchase cellphone plans (many of you were worried about that). I am sure you are adapting beautifully and I speak for all of my fellow Badgers when I say that we are so happy to have you here in Madison.

My name is Maggie Streeten and, as Kassie said in the previous post, I will be replacing her at Reach because she has graduated! I actually held the Reach position before Kassie but then I went abroad to take my turn being an international student! I was in Geneva, Switzerland where I was studying public health, working at WHO, speaking broken French, getting lost, and consuming far too much chocolate. Please feel free to stop by my office in ISS and introduce yourself if we don’t already know each other and even if we already do!

Being a global ambassador like you Reachers by teaching my Swiss friends about the 4th of July, an American Holiday.

Eating too much chocolate at a chocolate factory.

I am really excited to be back at Reach and I have lots of ideas about how to improve the Reach program in the coming semester.  First and foremost, we have a new twitter account so please, please follow us @UWReach (we are lonely without you following us!). I will be adding upcoming Reach events and volunteer opportunities via twitter and re-tweeting other campus opportunities and things that I think might be of interest to you. Also please feel free to tweet ideas for Reach at me!

In case you don’t already know we also have a facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/reach.uwmadison

I hope that the first week of the Spring semester went well for all of you! I know I am already drowning in homework but I guess that’s expected in the life of a student! If you know anyone who would be interested in joining Reach please have them email me at reach@studentlife.wisc.edu or have them attend one of the orientation sessions on February 12^th or February 28^th at 5:30pm in Mezzanine C, above ISS.

I look forward to connecting you with Reach events soon!

Keep warm,

Maggie