Discover a New City: Columbus, Indiana [EN-FR]

It doesn’t come as a surprise that in Indiana, Indianapolis is a fairly touristy destination. Welcoming over 29 million tourists each year, Indianapolis is one of the most popular destinations in the Midwest. However, just under an hour south of Indianapolis is a small city known as Columbus, Indiana, a small town full of surprises.

In fact, Columbus is one of the best cities in the world for those interested in architecture. If you are a fan, you’ll love the bus tour, “Architectural Highlights.” This two-hour tour details how Columbus came to be the architectural hotspot that it is today. Some of the artwork comes from designers such as I.M. Pei, the architect who designed the Louvre and Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art.

Additionally, you can take a tour of the beautiful Miller House and Garden, a National Historic Landmark owned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. The Miller House was designed by Eero Saarienen, a Finnish-American architect, with the help of Dan Kiley, with whom he helped create the St. Louis Gateway Arch. With its modern design, glass walls, skylights, and vibrant colors, it is really a sight to see.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a calmer day, you can always take a stroll through Downtown Columbus. From shops and boutiques to different dining options to all sorts of other activities, there’s no shortage of things to do while you’re there!

Finally, you can take a glance at the Columbus Community Calendar, available on the city’s website: columbus.in.gov. There are always interesting events occurring that you won’t want to miss!

Take a couple of days to explore a new city and see what Columbus has to offer!

Découvrir une nouvelle ville : Columbus, Indiana

Ce n’est pas surprenant que dans l’Indiana, la ville d’Indianapolis soit une destination assez touristique. Accueillant plus de 29 millions de touristes tous les ans, la ville d’Indianapolis est l’une des destinations les plus appréciée dans la région du Midwest des États-Unis. Cependant, à une heure au sud d’Indianapolis se trouve une petite ville qui s’appelle, Columbus, une ville pleine de surprises.

En fait, Columbus est l’une des meilleures villes du monde pour les passionnés d’architecture. Si vous aimez l’architecture, vous adorerez le bus touristique, « Les moments marquants d’architecture ». Ce voyage en bus de deux heures vous expliquera comment la ville de Columbus est devenue le haut lieu touristique d’architecture aujourd’hui. Certaines d’œuvres d’art viennent même de I.M. Pei, l’architecte qui a conçu le Louvre et le Musée d’Art Islamique de Doha.

Par ailleurs, vous pouvez faire un tour à la Miller House, un site national historique géré par le Musée d’Art d’Indianapolis, Newfields. La Miller House a été conçue par Eero SAARINEN, architecte finnois-américain, à l’aide de Dan KILEY, avec lequel il a conçu la « Gateway Arch » ou « Arche Passerelle » à Saint Louis dans le Missouri. La conception moderne, les murs-rideaux vitrés, les fenêtres de toit et finalement les couleurs vives de la Miller House sont un spectacle à voir.

En revanche, si vous cherchez des activités plus calmes, vous pouvez simplement vous balader au centre-ville de Columbus. Au centre vous trouverez des magasins et boutiques, des restaurants et plein d’autres activités, il ne manquera pas de choses à faire pendant votre visite.

Enfin, vous pouvez jeter un œil au calendrier de communauté de Columbus, disponible sur le site de la ville : columbus.in.gov. Il y a toujours des évènements intéressants qui se passent qu’il ne faut pas manquer !

Prenez quelques jours et découvrez une nouvelle ville et voir ce que Columbus vous propose !

11 Cultural Destinations in Indiana

11 Cultural Destinations in Indiana

Looking for something to do in Indiana? You might want to think about a cultural outing.

While Indiana is not set to host a UNESCO World Heritage site any time soon, it is not a cultural desert. Far from it! Many out of state visitors (and even some native Hoosiers) would be surprised to know just how many interesting cultural destinations there are to visit here in Indiana.

Here are twelve of our favorite picks!

Global Village Welcome Center

Located on the northwest side of Indianapolis, near Lafayette Square Mall, this cultural and community center features dozens of cultural exhibits containing artifacts and artwork from all over the world, as well as common space available for community events and conferences.

The Global Village Welcome Center is a close affiliate of the International Marketplace Coalition—an organization dedicated to revitalizing the highly diverse northwest side of the city, which is home to more than 100 ethnic restaurants, 40 markets and 900 businesses, and where community members collectively speak and represent more than 80 languages.

Events hosted by the International Marketplace Coalition such as Taste the Difference Festival & Sister Cities Fest, International Women’s Gathering and World Arts Expo will be held at the Global Village Welcome Center in coming years.

Eiteljorg Museum

Home to an astounding array of indigenous and western art, this is one of the most interesting museums in Indianapolis.

The Eiteljorg was founded by famous Indianapolis philanthropist Harrison Eiteljorg in 1989, with the intent of educating people on the culture of Indigenous North Americans and the American West more broadly.

Today the museum contains a huge number of art exhibits from Indigenous artists past and present, including displays of traditionally manufactured clothing and accessories, paintings, sculpture, and more. Additionally, visitors sometimes have the opportunity to meet resident Native artists, purchase artwork at shows, or attend the Western Book Club.

Mounds State Park

Mounds State Park, located in Anderson, IN, gets its name from the ~2000 year old earthen mounds that lie at the center of the park. These earthworks, built by the prehistoric midwestern Adena-Hopewell people, were likely used for ceremonial purposes, and as a site for viewing astronomical phenomena.

The park is also home to a number of hiking trails, as well as an open-to-the-public Nature Center. Other activities include camping and fishing on the banks of the White River.

Corydon Capitol State Historic Site

Many people are unaware that before Indianapolis—a planned city—was founded, Indiana had a different capital city. Corydon, IN was the official capital city of Indiana from the time it became a state in December 1816 until the year 1825.

Nowadays, although the town has a population of just over 3000, it is an important tourist destination due to its historic legacy as Indiana’s first capital, and its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Prophetstown State Park

Another culturally significant state park, located in West Lafayette, is the historic site of Prophetstown, a Native American village founded in 1808 by the revered Indigenous leader Tecumseh.

Tecumpseh, having formed an alliance with 14 tribes across the region in order build an army to fight off the encroaching American settlers, used Prophetstown as the base of operations for his military project, as well as a spiritual home for his brother, Tenskwatawa, known as The Prophet.

In November 1811, William Henry Harrison, then governor of Indiana Territory, sent an army of 1200 to the site while Tecumseh was travelling and gathering support. Despite ferocious resistance from its inhabitants, Prophetstown was eventually overrun and burned to the ground.

Today, Prophetstown State Park encompasses both the site of the razed town, as well as the nearby battlefield where Tenskwatawa’s men were defeated.

Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site

Built in the 1870s, this house on Indianapolis’s near northside was once the home of President Benjamin Harrison and family. It is now preserved as a museum, with nearly all of the original architecture—and some historic furniture—fully intact.

Visitors can book a tour and intimately explore the historic home every day of the week, including weekends. Additionally, the site hosts cultural events on a regular basis, including candlelight theatre performances.

Indiana Medical History Museum

Once a part of the Central State Hospital, the Indiana Medical History Museum, located on Indianapolis’s west side, is housed in the Old Pathology Building, which is the oldest surviving pathology facility in the nation.

Guided tours are available on a regular basis (although capacity is limited to groups of 5 at a time for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic). Guides will introduce visitors to the variety of instruments and methodologies used by pathologists during the turn of the 20th century, as well as specimens collected from the Central State Hospital during the same time period.

Crispus Attucks Museum

This eclectic museum, tucked away near the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis on the near westside, hosts a wide variety of memorabilia from the Crispus Attucks School—the first all African American school in Indiana. It also contains displays featuring Black artwork, and jazz memorabilia from the golden age of jazz on Indiana Avenue.

New Harmony State Historic Site

A classic example of 19th century utopian communities, the New Harmony State Historic Site is a well-preserved monument to a famous attempt to create paradise on earth.

Founded by German immigrants in the 1810s, Welsh industrialist Robert Owen took the helm in 1825, with the goal of turning the town into a utopian community similar to that of the Shakers or Oneida in upstate New York.

Unfortunately, the experiment only lasted two years before succumbing to internal conflicts, food shortages, a lack of housing, and other problems.

However, several historic buildings remain to this day, and are open for visits and guided tours.

General Lew Wallace Museum

Lew Wallace was already famous throughout the United States in the second half of the 19th century due to his leadership as a general in the Union Army during the civil war, where he served as a Major General during several decisive battles.

However, he remains famous to this day for his literary genius. Wallace was the author of the religious novel Ben-Hur: A tale of the Christ, which was a bestselling novel in its time and remains popular to this day due to the subsequent 1959 film Ben-Hur starring Charlton Heston.

The General Lew Wallace Museum is located on the site where the novel was originally written, and contains a great deal of Wallace’s personal affects and memorabilia.

Spring Mill State Park

Spring Mill State Park sits on the site of a historic pioneer village, where a year-round natural spring was first used by settlers to power a sawmill, gristmills, and a wool mill (thus the name Spring Mill)

In addition to 20 restored buildings from a time when Indiana was part of the frontier, the park also is home to a series of natural caves, which are open for guided tours from May through July.

Finally, consider visiting the memorial site of Gus Grissom, a native Hoosier and astronaut who became America’s second person to visit space.

Moving to the United States from France

Audrey Ruel is a former journalist from France who takes one of our English conversation classes. I asked her about her expectations about moving to the United States and what the reality has been. The following is what she shared with us:

Living in a foreign country since January 2019 has been a new experience for me. It was on my dream board to have the opportunity to spend more than vacation time outside of France. We have had this opportunity thanks to my husband's work. We moved with our two young daughters. We thought it would be a good experience for them too, and speaking English will help them throughout their entire lives. We moved 3 months before the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, we were lucky because living in the countryside during this period has been easier than it would have been in the big city where we previously lived in France (Nantes). 

I didn’t expect there to be a big gap between French and American cultures because we are both Western and we know about each other, but I was wrong! If you spend more than vacation time in a foreign country, you will understand the way of life of the local population, and I can now say that it’s really different here from my country! 

For example, my husband and I were really surprised at the beginning to see people going to restaurants at 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. In my country, dinner time is from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. American people wake up earlier, eat earlier, and go to school earlier, (and consequently go to sleep earlier), compared to France. 

Before moving, I was anxious about not speaking English well. I knew that the American accent was hard to understand, and I thought I could stay alone a long time or stay only in the French community, but I can now say that it’s really easy to form new relationships with American people. You can easily find a club or association where you can volunteer your free time and meet nice people. School is also a good place because they hold a lot of events with students and parents. You also have opportunities in your church community. My Hoosier neighbors are such nice people that I really enjoy having small talk with them. 

Living in America

We asked Audrey to share her expectations of what it would be like to live in the United States, the reality, and any advice she might have to newcomers.

Another big challenge when you move to the USA is to buy or rent a house. Real estate prices are really high compared to Europe and for less quality. Take your time to find a good place. Hopefully, we will be here for more than one year. We really enjoy our place. My family and I adore traveling in this huge and wonderful country. 

If I have advice to give, it would concern official documents. As a foreigner, there are a lot of documents to be careful with. If you can have a new passport when you move, that can help, because when the passport expires, you have to ask for a new visa, etc. If you don’t want to have immigration problems, take care of all those forms, and be as smart as possible. 

My last point is about electricity! In Europe, it is 220 volts, and in the USA it is 110 volts. You have to be aware of that point when you are packing all your stuff if you come from Europe. 

Eikawa English Conversation Group

Join us for a weekly English conversation group that will meet on Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 12:00 beginning in March. The cost for each class is $12.50. We will meet at 735 Shelby St., Suite #106, Indianapolis, IN 46203. Class size is limited to five students.

Asian Fest

It was a beautiful, lively, day at the Indiana State Museum yesterday. There were three ethnic festivals happening simultaneously. We at Midwest Language Services, LLC enjoyed talking with many visitors and were mesmerized by the buzz of activity and of the costumes and giant dragon that we saw in the building.

Thank you, Jane Gehlhausen, for inviting us to be a part of this event. It was very well organized and a great success. We enjoyed meeting everyone and learned so much!

Here are some snippets of the day's events!

Field Trips and Experiential English in Columbus, Indiana

One of our ESL students found a book about interior decorating.

It was time for a change in our English class routine. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and some of our students met at a local library to learn where to find books they would be interested in reading. We prepared for this day last week when we reviewed vocabulary related to libraries. We tried using these words in sentences and with help from their instructor, they practiced key phrases they would need to be able to find books and check them out.

Last week, the students talked about topics they would like to learn more about. One student likes sports and is interested in marathon running. Another likes interior decorating and has experience with this in her home country. Our other student was interested in books about places to travel within the United States and abroad.

There are lots of books about running and marathons.

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An ESL student chooses a book about travel in the United States.

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Before we checked out our books, we sat at a table together and shared what books we decided to check out. It was a good opportunity to share and learn more about our classmates. Afterwards, we took a tour of the library that was designed by architect I. M. Pei and then went next door to the visitor's center where we saw glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly.

Overcoming Culture Shock - Adjusting to a New Country

Moving to a new country can be exciting. In the beginning stage of the move, everything is new. There are new places to see, new foods to try, and new things to do. However, there are other stages of living in a new country that are not so pleasant. The purpose of this blog post is to help prepare you for your move. It might also help you if you have already moved and are experiencing sadness from being away from home.

If you know that there are different phases of culture shock, this might help you know that this feeling is normal. After a time, things will get better.

1. Excitement - You have moved because of new work opportunities or for a better life. There are a lot of reasons why people move. When you first arrive, you may be so busy unpacking and getting your new home or apartment set up, that you are too busy to think about anything else. You want to learn about this new place that you will be calling "home" for a while.

2. Frustration - You may be using a new language and simple tasks such as going to the store or going out to eat provide new challenges. You might understand parts of conversations at work, but you don't have enough language skills to be able to add anything to the conversation quickly. Then you realize every day is going to be like this for a while. You might wonder why you ever moved to begin with. You might feel that you should have stayed in your home country. You might start to feel some sadness and even deep sadness for a long time (depression).

3. Adjustment - You start to have a routine of things you do every day or every week to keep you busy. You start to see familiar faces and maybe even make a few new friends. Your navigation of places to go and your routines become easier. You don't compare your home country to your new country as often. If you work, you start understanding more vocabulary and start learning common expressions and short sentences that are used often.

4. Acceptance - Even though there is no place like home, you feel comfortable in your new country. You may not understand why people do what they do in this new place, but you accept that this is what locals do. If it's time to go back home, you might even feel sad about leaving because you now actually like your current home and have made some friends.

Tips for overcoming culture shock:

1. If you live in the United States where there isn't much public transportation, get a driver's license. This will enable you to find new places to go and more things to do in your free time.

2. Take English classes. Learn everyday English sentences or take a business English class. This will help make your everyday life easier. This is also a good way to get to know other people who are new to the United States.

3. Be patient. Learning a new language is a lot of work. You may not learn as fast as you want to, but don't quit.

4. Try to find things to do every day or every week that you can look forward to.

5. Get plenty of sleep. Everyone feels better when they have enough rest. It is easier to have a good attitude anywhere in the world if you get at least seven hours of sleep.

6. Eat healthy food. If you get sick, being away from home will be more difficult. Try to stay healthy to avoid getting sick.

7. Talk with friends and family using e-mail, Skype, Line, or WhatsApp. These days, it is much easier to stay in contact with people you know than ever before.

Letter to Newcomers from a Current Student

One of our students, Akiko, will be be returning to Japan very soon. After teaching a class about phrases used to offer advice and suggestions, I asked the students to write to a letter to people who would be moving to the United States. This gave an opportunity for Akiko to use her English skills while leaving a legacy here for newcomers who might look for advice about things to do while living in Indiana. Here is her revised letter.

Dear New Friend,

My name is Akiko and I’m from Japan. I’ve been in Columbus, [Indiana] for three years. I would recommend going to watch sports such as baseball, basketball, and football. There are many professional sports teams in the U.S.A. Live games are exciting.

My favorite game is basketball. Any team is fine, but I like the Indiana Pacers. You should check the Pacers home page [so] that you can get information about where you can watch the games, get tickets, and ticket prices.

You should take an English class or workshop. Don’t stay in your house alone. I would recommend Midwest Language Services.

Best regards,

Akiko S.