How to Study Abroad on Your Couch

Photo from www.thejakartapost.com

There is nothing more miserable than being in central Pennsylvania in February. The weather plays you––one minute, it’s a beautiful 46 degrees with sunny skies, and the next, it’s -20 degrees with windchill. Prospective students roam the campus, all bright-eyed and rested, in your way when you’re already ten minutes late to your third class of the day. And worst of all, Instagram is littered with pictures of the Eiffel Tower, delicious plates of pasta and far more aesthetic walks to class.

Some Penn Staters have the privilege to take their studies abroad, and some do not. Suppose you fall into the category of your view outside your window being College Avenue instead of the cobblestone street of Milan. In that case, there might be a way to escape the greyness of Pennsylvania for a few hours.

Photo from @kaitlindeckk on Instagram
Study abroad at home with international entertainment

Americans are spoiled rotten when it comes to entertainment. We have the Bachelor, plenty of award-winning movies and plenty of binge-able TV shows. However, it can be boring sometimes to see the same movie about some American girl and an American guy falling in love on the same farm somewhere in the Carolinas.

There are plenty of amazing and equally entertaining TV shows and movies to watch that you have never heard of. The catch? They’re in a different language.

Around 21.6% of people in the United States speak another language. While that number isn’t minuscule, it still means that around 4/5 of Americans don’t have the means to understand new cultures in their native tongue. Thankfully, technology has your back in the sense that almost every show or movie can now be watched with dubbed-over audio and/or subtitles to enjoy a piece of media that isn’t in English.

Why should I watch an international show or movie?

Some people are content with the limited amount of shows and movies made in English. But for others, international forms of entertainment are a great way to watch something fresh and potentially learn something new!

Just like in American entertainment, international shows and movies use tidbits of their culture, life and environment to create entertainment that is both relatable and fun for people of that language/culture. Therefore, watching a show or movie from a different country is a fantastic way to expand your cultural knowledge in a fun, engaging way.

Another perk to watching a show from a culture different from yours is expanding your conversation topics with international friends. If you can relate to someone in your friend group or class from another country, you can deepen your friendship and give you guys something to bond over.

Looking where to watch? VALLEY Magazine asked some Penn State students from all over the world what their favorite show or movie is from their culture:

France: “Casa de Papel”

Numa Paihol is a Penn State graduate from Paris, France, who majored in corporate finance and supply chain and information systems. He recommends this French film about a heist in Spain.

Photo from soompi.com

“I loved all the characters. They all cover a different aspect of human psychology, and I really like that type of show/movie in general, like a mix of thriller and bank robbery. It’s just a fun show in general to watch,” said Paihol.

“Plus, minoring in Spanish, watching it in Spanish with subtitles helped a lot.”

You can find “Casa de Papel” on Netflix.

Japan: Midnight Diner

Angela Lamli is a Penn State sophomore studying marketing from Sydney, Australia. Lamli recommends this cozy series about Japanese stories.

Photo from hollywoodreporter.com

“It’s not like a binge-watch kind of show, it’s one of those where you have to sit down and concentrate on the episode. The writing, lighting, cinematography, and ambiance of the show just remind me of a live-action studio Ghibli film and it’s really character-based rather than plot based.”

Photo from digitallydownloaded.net

“It’s really touching and endearing because it’s all about the small moments in life,” said Lamli.

You can always watch “Midnight Diner” on Netflix.

India: “Queen”

Emaann Ali graduated from Penn State in 2019 with a degree in psychology and although she too loves “Love Island” from the United Kingdom, she recommends watching “Queen,” a film that hits closer to home.

Photo from nowrunning.com

“Being from a South Asian family, I’ve very familiar with the norms for young girls. So it was refreshing and inspiring to see a movie portray a young girl’s journey of self-discovery, gaining independence and realizing you don’t need a man to live a fulfilling life,” said Ali. Preach.

Photo from themoviebuff.net

“Most of the scenes were filmed in Paris and Amsterdam which added to the cinematography.”

“Queen” is yet another fantastic international movie that you can find on Netflix.

Brazil: Malhação Sonhos

Renata Daou is a senior studying international politics and journalism from Brazil. She picked a movie that reminds her of home––a far warmer place than State College.

Photo from observatoriodatv.uol.com.br

“It’s very cliché but [it’s about] a guy that was a magician and a girl who was a mai-tai fighter who hated each other at first but then started to like each other.”

“The interactions were very funny, and I like rewatching it because it reminds me of Brazil and gives me good memories of that time.”

Malhação Sonhos is available to watch on Apple TV+.

No matter where you are or what culture you are from, there is a world out there waiting for you to experience and enjoy their small pieces of culture through shows and movies. Bon voyage, binge-watchers!

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