My Intercultural Development Journey

Who should pay for the first date? If a party starts at 8pm, what time would you arrive? What is a home remedy that you use to cure a cold?

These were some of the questions posed to us at our orientation for the UCD Michael Smurfit Business School 2019/2020 cohort. As random as these questions were, they showed stark differences in the way that we approach social situations and it spoke a lot to our cultural backgrounds. We were then introduced to the Intercultural Development (ICD) Programme.

With increasingly multicultural workplaces, the ICD programme is a way to develop our intercultural competence and prepare us for key workplace and self-development skills in a time of accelerating globalisation. The programme takes place during the semester through a series of research-driven and theory-based workshops focusing on different intercultural aspects, such as communication, teamwork, emotional intelligence, problem solving, decision making and leadership.

The set-up of the workshops is more interactive than an ordinary lecture. We sat at tables with fellows from different academic courses, different countries and different backgrounds. The charismatic facilitator of these workshops, Dr Yang, ensured that we interacted with one another in the beginning of each session. She created an environment that was fun and interactive yet equally academically stimulating. I felt comfortable to share my own experiences with strangers, and to listen and learn from theirs. I found that every workshop was an excellent opportunity to interact with fellow students through engaging and challenging our understanding of culture. The highly interactive nature of the programme was refreshing and enabled me to learn from my peers.

I found that one of the highlights for my learning journey was that I became aware of the way in which I communicate and interact with people. For example, I realised that sometimes the way I communicated could be complicated and long-winded. Whereas, if I communicate concisely and clearly, it can be easier to understand for people who are not mother tongue English speakers. Throughout the semester, I became aware of the transformation in my language that I needed to make for the groups I worked with to effectively communicate with one another.

There were also some fun observations I made about myself, such as realising that I am a Hopper. I hop from one task to the next when I work. It may sound like I cannot concentrate on one task and complete it, but I maintain energy by keeping busy and I find having a couple of tasks going on at one time to be exhilarating. I discussed strategies to bring out the best productivity with my fellow classmates at the table and after that session, I started to adjust my learning style in a more efficient manner with the Hopper style of managing my time.

I am grateful to the UCD Michael Smurfit Business School for giving me the opportunity to take part in this programme to identify my intercultural strengths and develop the areas that are critical to a multicultural workplace. The business school not only values diversity in education but encourages us to embrace it and celebrate the opportunity to make the most of our learning experience within a multicultural environment.

Flying Through Yoga Class

I always look for a new yoga studio when I move to a new location. I relocated to Johannesburg to do an internship for about two months, and fortunately, I stayed quite close to the Sandton Yoga Lounge. I got my membership sorted and went to my first class, which was a candle-lit Vinyasa class. The atmosphere was really peaceful and filled with kindness so I knew that I would come back. After attending a range of styles such as Anusara Vinyasa and Iyengar Yoga, I decided to try Aerial yoga which is also called anti-gravity yoga.

Aerial yoga is a blend of traditional yoga poses and Pilates exercises with a silk hammock to support the poses. The yoga studio has pink and purple hammocks which are suspended from the ceiling and hanging about 1 meter from the ground. The hammock looks like a swing, and its height can be adjusted to the height of the person using it. There were only four of us, and we started with the usual breathing practices and then went into the postures.

For most of the session, I was suspended off the ground by the hammock. I was nervous at first because I feared falling or not being able to do the poses, but my instructor was so supportive and helpful throughout the practice. The poses varied, and there were some that were slow and meditative, and others that were complicated and challenging. Some of the focal areas include spine decompression, improving core strength and increasing flexibility. We were given options to suit our level of flexibility throughout the class and the instructor was very attentive to what we were doing.

After doing Aerial yoga for a few weeks, I could feel the benefits that come from bending and stretching the whole body. My muscles and joints were strengthened, and it all just felt nourishing for my body. In addition to doing core exercises at gym, I felt my core strengthen through the postures in which I had to support the body in mid-air. I enjoyed hanging upside down and feeling my spine decompress. The internship job I had been doing was quite demanding, so I cherished this opportunity to unwind and show my body some love.

Here are your tips for your first Aerial yoga class:

· Dress comfortably because you will be upside-down a lot.

· Get to class early so that you have time to adjust the hammock to your height.

· Eat at least an hour before the class.

· Take your time through the poses.

· Trust the fabrics

· Do not be afraid to ask for help 😊

Top 5 Reasons to Aim for Archery

“The harder you practice, the luckier you get”- Gary Player.

I have always had an interest in doing odd extramural activities to keep my mind busy. I have done tap dancing, tennis, performance arts, karate and more. The intention is never to become an expert, that is something I only reserve for my love of piano. Rather, my intention is always to invigorate my mind, my life and my body with something new and fresh. I love the idea of trying something that I have never done before and becoming familiar with it. I love to find parts of new hobbies that I start to enjoy and discover sides of myself that I did not know. I like to challenge myself, not in acquiring a new skill necessarily, but to see how limitless my ability to learn is. I also enjoy meeting new people from communities and lives I would otherwise not have the opportunity to interact with. It is so beautiful to step into the unknown and just enjoy it.

I was nervous to join the Archery Club because everyone looked experienced with their professional-looking equipment. I found someone to speak to from the team and she welcomed me with open arms. She checked which eye was my dominant eye and then sent me to the left-dominant team. There, I joined a group of beginners who were all as new to the sport as I was. I met a kind young lady in her first year of university and we spent a lot of time talking. Every week, the more experienced team members taught us different aspects of archery and then we would have games at the end of each lesson.

Here are the top 5 things I liked most about archery:

1. Archery is for everyone.

Archery can be enjoyed by any age, skill level and physical ability. With most sports, people who become competitive tend to start off young, but with archery any shooters can advance, regardless of their age. The beauty of archery is that there is no body type, no gender, no physical ability that is prescribed. If you can shoot a bow, you are good to go!

2. Archery is safe.

The instructors introduced us to archery and range safety from the first day of training. They explained the reasoning behind each rule and told us when it is safe to retrieve arrows and when it is safe to shoot. There is a lot of care given and shown towards one another. I know that bows and arrows are considered weapons, but it truly felt safe.

3. You can take your time.

Although there is a clear sense of community, it is not a team sport. This means that you can go at your own pace and decide for yourself whether you want to train competitively or take on a much more relaxed way of learning. I had a very relaxed approach, but still felt like I was improving at the pace I wanted to.

4. There are health benefits.

From my experience, it is a mental sport that required discipline, patience and a lot of concentrations. There were times I went to grab a quick cup of coffee because I felt tired from the concentration! Besides the mental benefits that I cultivated, it also had physical benefits such as upper-body strength and coordination. The first session left me with a stiff arm because I was not used to holding the bow (and I have chicken arms!) but I could feel myself improving over time.

5. It is fun!

The target practice games that we played were lots of fun and there were prizes at the end of each session. We would all encourage one another and give feedback to each other. I really enjoyed being part of the Archery Club. The people were so welcoming and really went out of their way to ensure that I understood the basics and the rules of archery. It was an incredible experience which was unfortunately cut short due to COVID-19, but I had lots of fun taking up this new, fresh and exciting activity.