Before we even entered the museum we knew we were in for a treat. The outside of the museum is a mosaic with tons of mirrors, colored glass and other items making beautiful patterns. Since the museum is several floors, we decided to have a meeting point in an hour so everyone could take their time looking around at their own pace. Some of us wandered to the basement where we ended up with at the fart exhibit. No, that is not a typo- The Fart Exhibit. The entire mosaic told stories of flatulence and in the middle there was a button you could push to hear different sounds of…well we think you know what we are going to say! Despite the subject matter, the exhibit was very colorful and the guide told us a little bit about how he created the exhibit and that he also created a Christmas tree made of mirrors outside the museum.

Visionary artists usually do not have any formal training and are often self-taught. The cool thing about that, we learned, is that people make art from and about anything (e.g. farts)! We saw a toothpick replica of the Lusitania, Pez Dispenser art, photos of ears dedicated to the one earring all women seem to lose, but can’t seem to give up, and mannequins of all sizes and shapes adorned with various items. Needless to say, we spent more than an hour in the museum. We all spent probably about a half an hour just in the gift shop alone!

Once we left the museum, we decided we would climb up Federal Hill to get a nice view of the Inner Harbor. It was a bit of a steep hike, but well worth it once we got to the top and took some photos of the city. For some of the students this was their first time to a major U.S. city.

On the way to our next stop, The Book Thing, we stopped at Paper Moon Diner for lunch, which was recommended by a friend of our German student. The Diner seemed quite similar to the museum with colorful eclectic displays of just about everything from dolls to sailboats! The menu was just about as far ranging as the décor! Our student from Japan tried the macho nachos, while others tried crab quesadillas, salmon pasta, egg omelets and grilled cheese- there was something for everyone! Once our bellies were full, we decided to head to our final destination- The Book Thing!

The Book Thing is basically a hole in the wall, but the inside is amazing and every book lovers dream! Basically, the organization collects books all week, and then opens their doors on Saturday and Sunday to give away books, free of charge. One or 100, you can take as many as you want! Books range from cookbooks to non-fiction to travel guides and magazines! We all got a few and after about an hour we piled back into the van and headed back to St. Mary’s!

Amy Marrion, Grad Assistant, Office of International Education

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We spent about 30-45 minutes in the enormous corn maze.  At one point the group got separated, but eventually we all reunited outside the maze in the barn for some lunch. Our students from Japan and Mexico landed at a table in front of a TV to catch some of the Saturday soccer games being played around the world.  After lunch a few of us ventured to grab a sweet treat. Conveniently located next to the barn was a cupcake shop! Appropriately named “” the shop had a wide variety of cupcakes for only $2.00 a piece! We sampled pink champagne, coconut cream, devil’s food and banana cream flavored cupcakes.

Another reason for visiting the farm was to visit the pumpkin patch! As American tradition goes, children (and adults) carve pumpkins for Halloween and we wanted to give SMCM international and exchange students the opportunity to purchase and carve their own pumpkins! As a group we strolled through the pumpkin patch, but it seemed that most of the nicer looking pumpkins had already been taken. However, we were lucky because we discovered another area with nicer looking pumpkins- perfect for carving- for sale. We each selected our favorite pumpkins and purchased them for $5.00 each. One student from Germany also bought a smaller pumpkin for a fall baking venture!

Bowles Farm also had a few little rides for kids and a petting zoo, but having visited the St. Mary’s County Fair a few weeks ago, we decided we would much rather head back to St. Mary’s to carve pumpkins and drink apple cider! We planned to carve pumpkins at the International Residence, just a couple of minutes from campus. Although most students agreed that in their home countries they have pumpkins- no one had ever carved one before! So, with bags, pumpkin carving kits, markers and our bare hands our pumpkin carving adventure began! We also put the pumpkin seeds in the oven to make toasted pumpkin seeds- yum! By the end of the day we had four carved pumpkins, including two “hybrid” pumpkins that were both carved AND painted!

~Amy Marrion, Graduate Assistant, Office of International Education

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On Saturday September 26^th four of our international students traveled the short distance up Rt. 5 to experience the 69^th Annual St. Mary’s County Fair. Despite a cloudy sky and a few showers, the group had a great time exploring the culture of St. Mary’s County. If you couldn’t already tell from our surroundings, the history of St. Mary’s is deeply rooted in agriculture, and that was evident when we first stepped foot on the fairgrounds and saw tractors, pigs, sheep, cows and barrels of hay!

Before exploring the livestock area, we visited the local Sheriffs table which presented a prime opportunity for photos and tinkering with handcuffs and other police gadgets. As we continued, we explored exhibits jam packed with goods submitted by local residents.  Goods on display included beautiful photos, many depicting the prized Maryland Blue Crab, gorgeous baked goods, fruit and vegetables. As part of the fruit section, there was a contest for the largest watermelon and first place weighed in at a whopping 82 lbs! When we finally made it to the livestock area, we noticed that the bunnies had been ranked and learned that they are judged on a variety of criteria, including ear type and eye color! Who knew?

In addition to the local agricultural exhibits, there were also tables set up for local businesses, churches and political parties. We found the Republican table particularly interesting because they were offering candy corn to place in the mason jar of your favorite presidential candidate.

And, of course, a fair would not be a fair if there weren’t rides! There were dozens of rides and happy children running around despite the dreary weather. A few of us decided to try out the “Round Up” which sent us in circles from every angle possible …and by the end I knew that was my first and final ride of the day! However, two other students, with apparent stomachs of steel, opted to try out the bumper cars, the drop tower and more! The rest of us wandered around the grounds and contemplated the many food options!

After the two thrill seekers got their ride fix, we regrouped to grab some food. Having learned that “stuffed ham” is a specialty truly unique to St. Mary’s County, we started with a free sample. There was a mixed reaction to the spicy ham treat; some thought it was too spicy, while others enjoyed it. However, I was the only one who actually purchased a sandwich to take with me! Following our savory sampling, we moved on to the true fair goodness- fried foods! We tried funnel cake sprinkled with powdered sugar and fried Oreos, which are an American tradition and favorite at county fairs. We also learned that in Slovenia, where one of our students is from, there is very similar treat to funnel cake!

Submitted by Amy Marrion, Office of International Education Graduate Assistant

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Once we arrived, plans changed a little. The majority of the group was hungry for lunch so we had free time first. During this time a small group of us ate a quick lunch and went to explore. We went to the Jefferson Memorial, the White House; we even took a ride on the carousel outside of the Smithsonian Castle! When I asked Estera, our exchange student from Slovenia, about the trip she said that the time we spent walking around was so fun and relaxing that, “it felt like I had been going to D.C for years and I just happened to pop in for the day.” She also told me about hearing a street performer play “Peanuts,” and seeing all the people play games on the Mall; seeing everyone having a good time, seeing the city in full swing was incredible. The trip was more than a visit to the museum. Traveling up to Washington D.C I was able to show my fellow students my culture and city.

Another student, Natsuko, our exchange student from Japan, also had fond memories of the trip to Washington D.C. She told me about how going on the excursion was not only about getting to know the city, but she was able to connect more with other exchange students—learning about their cultures, and sharing her own culture with them. And in that same vein of culture she spoke to me about the Museum of the Native American, referencing the short American history (compared to Japan’s long history), but the acceptance the United States has had of different cultures.

The trip to Washington D.C was not just a lovely opportunity for the international students to visit the city and learn about American culture, but it was an incredible opportunity for me. Showing people around the city I spent much time in as a child and having the opportunity to learn about their cultures was tremendous fun. I cannot wait for our next trip! This time we are going to Baltimore!

Written by Adriana Rossel – The Office of International Education’s International Student Ambassador

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