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Dan in Argentina: Getting Ready!

July 17, 2015

Hey everyone! I’m Dan. As a junior at the University of Richmond, I am majoring in International Economics and minoring in Spanish. At UR, I am on the Mock Trial team, am an RA and participate in Greek life. This semester I will be attending the Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The school recently moved its campus to an amazing new building. It is right across the street from a major football stadium for one of the most popular teams, River Plate! The university is about 5,000 students, among which about 80% are graduate students. Their main areas of study include business and economics, political science and architecture. While I am there, I plan to take political science courses about Latin American and Argentine politics. For nearly six months, I will live in the northern neighborhood of Palermo. Palermo borders the neighborhoods of Belgrano (where my university is) and Recoleta. I have already mapped my travel plans from my homestay to my school. The porteños (people from Buenos Aires) call their subway, “el subte.” So, on “el subte,” I will take the D line for about 30 minutes!

Lipton Tea Bags, BBQ Sause and Dijon Mustard were the requests of my host family. These items are not imported by Argentina so buried under sweaters and shoes, I’m sneaking them in! Well, not exactly… the law is that foreign merchandise totaling less than $1,000 is fine. But still, I feel like Mark Wahlberg in Contraband.

Everyone keeps asking me if I am nervous to go. I can’t say “no” completely, but I almost want to. I really don’t feel worried about getting down there, assimilating and excelling. I am very adaptable and feel I will truly thrive in this new place. While I wish I were more confident with my Spanish, I think I will be okay and can only improve from here! I am so much more excited than I am nervous.

Here we go! Got my boarding passes, pesos and Passport and I’m ready for a 22 hour travel day! After flying to Miami in the afternoon, I’m on the redeye straight to Buenos Aires! I’ll arrive at 10AM their time (1 hour ahead of Richmond) and go meet my host family! I have been Facebook messaging them a lot so I can’t wait to meet them!

I cannot wait for all that I will experience while abroad, and to document it for you this semester as a photo blogger. The new foods, drinks, customs, activities, tourist attractions, travel destinations, etc. will undoubtedly be amazing.

Saying goodbye is tough. Missing my dog will be ‘ruff.’ But packing! Packing is by far the hardest part of leaving. Two checked bags (under 50 lbs each) and a backpack is not nearly enough room for 6 months of necessities. That being said, I’m not trying to pay a $100 fee for a bag a pound too heavy!

I am going to travel to Iguazu Falls, northwest of Buenos Aires. Eleanor Roosevelt exclaimed “Poor Niagra” when she visited this massive group of natural waterfalls.

I want so badly to ski in Patagonia. I promise to show amazing pictures of this. The clothing brand logo does not do the Andes justice.

I will definitely be hitting up a vineyard or two in the Mendoza province. Argentina is the sixth largest exporter of wine in the world and the first largest in Latin America.

I am so excited to take a Tango lesson, go to a street Tango performance and learn everything about Tango. Tango, Tango, Tango.

While many of my friends hit the beach or complain about their summer internships, I get to go back to school! Of course, I can’t exactly be upset because my school is in a different country where filet mignon is eaten daily and the coffee is freshly imported from Brazil. Plus, with flip-flopped season in December in Buenos Aires, I will leave the 90-degree palm tree climate for a snowy mid-winter Boston making me the tannest guest at the Christmas dinner table; sure to be envied from all my relatives. Could this get any better!?

While I will be learning everyday, the way I see it, it’s more of an adventure than an academic semester. I will be learning so much more than just political theory or economic equations. My Spanish skills will grow exponentially. I am ready for a semester of learning, new experiences, difficult communication problems and excitement!

Comments Off on Dan in Argentina: Getting Ready! | Dan in Argentina, Fall 2015 | Tagged: Adventure, Culture, Host Family, Host University, Language, Preparation, Public Transportation, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Dan H.

Layla in Australia: Introduction

July 17, 2015

Hi everyone! My name is Layla and I’m studying abroad at the University of Sydney in Australia this semester. Though studying abroad is very common for Richmond students, most of my friends were pretty surprised when I told them about my plans for the semester. Why, you ask? Three reasons:

I’m a rising senior. The majority of Richmond students who study abroad do so their junior fall, but I’ve met people who’ve studied abroad semesters ranging from sophomore fall to junior spring. But senior year? I didn’t know it was possible. It’s much more common than I thought – there are at least five other rising seniors going abroad that I know of. Hopefully this blog will help dispel the myth that there’s only one possible semester to study abroad!
I’m a chemistry major. Anecdotally, it seems like science majors are underrepresented in study abroad. For example, of the 21 chemistry majors in my grade, I will be just the fifth to go abroad for a semester. While it is definitely possible to fit in a semester studying abroad into a timeline of required science courses, it requires careful planning. I’ve heard a lot of my fellow Gottwald enthusiasts talk about how they didn’t study abroad because it wasn’t possible with their major. I’m hoping to help bust this myth as well and show how studying abroad can complement any major.
I’m a citizen of my host country — I moved to America from Australia when I was seven years old. This was the reason that I originally thought I didn’t want to spend a semester abroad when I first came to Richmond. I thought that my international experiences before college meant that I couldn’t gain anything from spending a semester abroad. I’ve now come to realize that I couldn’t have been more wrong. The summer after my freshman year, I spent a month in La Rochelle, France, taking classes for my French minor. While I had a wonderful summer eating baguettes and practicing French with my host family, the small taste of a study abroad experience left me longing for more. My program was rigidly structured, with weekends designated for group trips, and independent travel outside of La Rochelle was prohibited. I itched for the opportunity to travel on my own and discover the country for myself. The more I thought about my experiences in France after my return, the more my desire to take a risk and spend an entire semester abroad grew. I knew as soon as I started considering studying abroad that I wanted to rediscover my birthplace, which has always held a special place in my heart, despite my faint memories of it. The University of Sydney was a logical choice — I love beaches and big cities, the university has an enormous class catalog, which is perfect for a science major with diverse interests, and it’s only an hour and a half away from Wollongong, the city where I grew up.

Australia’s academic calendar is very different than America’s, and the spring semester (known as semester 2) runs from the end of July to the beginning of November. So even though it feels like I’m still in the middle of summer break, it’s time for me to leave for Sydney! It’s hard to describe the emotions I’m feeling. I’m leaving a lot behind in America– my entire extended family is here for a family reunion. They live all over the world, from Iran to Sweden, and so I only see them about once every five years. I’m so excited to get to Sydney, but I’m really sad and not ready to leave my family behind. My packing for Sydney has consisted of the suitcase I threw together while I was frantically putting my stuff into storage in Richmond last week, so needless to say, I’m also feeling anxious to see if I’ve packed the right things. So it’s definitely a mix of emotions. Mostly, I can’t wait to spend the next six months really getting to know Australia!

#TBT My mom and I in the Australian countryside. I’m excited to revisit some of my childhood memories!

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Posted by laylainaustralia

Jackie in Switzerland: The (almost) End

June 26, 2015

Leaving Lausanne did not feel entirely real. I think after spending so much time in one place, it is hard to imagine that you might never be back. For the whole last week in this town, I have been living in total denial, which is really the easiest and (clearly) the most mature way to handle things. I’ve mostly been doing the exact same things as normal, refusing to pack, and actually ignoring anyone who tries to remind me that I’m leaving. If someone insists that I should actually start getting my things together, I kindly tell them to stop talking. Very mature.

Luckily, I do not have to say goodbye quite yet, since I will be traveling around Europe for a month after leaving Lausanne! I am really excited for that, since I will be seeing many countries in Eastern Europe that I have never visited before. I also do not know a single word of Czech, German, Hungarian, Greek or Italian so I’m sure that will create some funny/embarrassing /awkward beyond belief stories along the way. I’m sure it will be a whirlwind experience, but for now I’m reflecting on how crazy this past semester has been.

This is one of my favorite things in the city.

Walking through the streets of Lausanne, I remember the first time that I arrived here and the name Ouchy (the area by the lake) meant nothing to me and I was ‘not all that excited’ about the chocolate. Total newbie mistake.

Being at the end makes me think of the beginning and how I showed up somewhat terrified and completely over my head. I had never had to do all that much for myself, even though I had always thought of myself as independent. I can now say that the word has taken on a whole new meaning after having to beat down the doors of the housing administration just to get my security deposit back (I did get it back!).

It really strikes me how the actual city of Lausanne hasn’t changed, but the people in it have. I promise not to make this into a sappy “this semester has changed my life and I will never be the same” drama, but I will say that studying abroad is like nothing else in this world. I wouldn’t say that it changed me, but more that it made me feel alive. It made me feel more secure in the person that I am at the same time that it made me feel small in comparison to what is out there. It is so easy, especially at a small school like Richmond, to get into a groove and never realize how much there is out there.

Being in a city with so many religions, colors, cultures, languages and people has made me so much more certain about who I want to be. It is almost as if I am taking all of these differences surrounding me, picking which ones I like best, and inserting them into my own life. My friend Amanda said it the best; it’s like leaving little bits of yourself behind in every place you visit, but also picking up little bits that others give you.

This is turning sappier than I intended, but all in all, I will say that I have never been more proud of myself than I am in this moment. Not because I passed all of my classes (yay!), not because I made super awesome amazingly cool friends and not because I necessarily got to do all of the things that I wanted to. I’m most proud because I let this experience grow me. If I could give one piece of advice about study abroad, it would be to let the experience take you whatever way it wants to take you. If you want to meet the same people and say the same things and feel the same emotions, stay at home!

Study abroad will offer you bits of the entire world, but that means nothing if you don’t take them. If you do choose to go abroad, do not leave without making an impression and do not leave without letting the experience make an impression on you.

One last lovely view of these mountains.

Comments Off on Jackie in Switzerland: The (almost) End | Jackie in Switzerland, Spring 2015 | Tagged: Culture, Friends, Host University, Reflection, Switzerland | Permalink
Posted by jackieinswitzerland

Jackie in Switzerland: Flashback to the 1920’s

June 8, 2015

The 1920’s party was AWESOME. The party took place on a giant boat that started in Lausanne before sailing around Lac Léman for a few hours. The party was called “Titanique Lémanic”, the theme was 1920’s/Gatsby, and I was so impressed with the atmosphere.

It was so fun to dress up for the night and go out for something special!

First of all, I am a total nerd and absolutely LOVE the 20’s (and The Great Gatsby) and so I was all over this party from the very beginning. I went shopping at consignment shops in the area with my friends to find anything to wear that would fit the theme. In the end, almost everyone at the party got really into the theme and it truly looked like a fabulous 1920’s party when we arrived.

I dressed up in 1920’s style, and my friend Maeve dressed up as a Titanic passenger… I wonder if the party organizers ever questioned having a party entitled “titanic” on a boat?

The boat had a casino, a magician, and a dance floor. The decorations looked really extravagant and you could tell that everyone at the party was having an amazing time and that it was one of the last times that we would all be together. It obviously felt fabulous to be on a boat, in one of the prettiest countries in the world, dressed up like Daisy and Jay. But even more than the extravagance of the party, it was incredible to all get together at the very end of the semester and see how far we have all come.

The Jay to our Daisy.

I knew that this was the last time that I would see many of the friends I have made since the beginning of the semester and it made the experience even more magical. We still had our “wow this is real life” moments, but we also realized that this might be one of the last times we could stare in awe at the beauty of Switzerland all together. The boat gave us the best view I have ever seen of the Swiss Alps (and as you know, I have seen a lot) and the sun seemed to set just for us.

Exhibit A in the “wow this is real life” feeling.

This was the first moment where I felt that the end was near. I will be leaving in less than a week and I feel like I have just started getting comfortable in Lausanne. I am realizing that while I post awesome pictures of my travels and I get to learn another language and meet simply amazing people, study abroad is not easy. Yes, in the beginning it was very hard to get used to the country, but now it is hard to imagine not living here. When I arrived, I expected to make a few friends from cool places and then to be okay in returning home.

Pancakes with my friends.

I have been combating the feeling that time is slipping by organizing pancake breakfasts on my hall (and forcing everyone to come!) These are some of my close friends that I have made in my dorm, and they were all excited to try ‘American pancakes made by a real American’. Feel free to call me MasterChef.

I am finding that the hardest part will be saying goodbye to the people whom I have met here. I have not just found “friends for now” but rather friends for life and people who I will miss terribly. Whether it’s my Chef BFF Amanda who cooks me the most amazing dinners because I am awful in the kitchen, my French hall mate who regularly (and adorably) throws around the American slang that I teach him, or even my friend Ayumi who I will see at school at Richmond, I am realizing that I will not be able to see them on a regular basis and that I have grown so attached to my friends here that I do not know what I will do without them. The hardest part of studying abroad is creating this new comfort and this new home for yourself and then having to leave it as soon as it feels okay.

As I get closer to the end, I have been taking more and more photos like this one, Lausanne is a gorgeous city!

I am unbelievably grateful for the fact that I have found my “people” here in Switzerland, unbelievably relieved that the majority of my work is over, and unbelievably excited for the next chapter. I feel all of these things at the same time, and the result is such a mix of emotions that I don’t even know what to feel anymore. While I knew that I would love my time abroad and that of course I would get comfortable here, I never thought that I would have such a hard time saying goodbye. That being said, I will be traveling around Europe for about a month after my semester officially ends, and so the adventure is not quite over yet.

Comments Off on Jackie in Switzerland: Flashback to the 1920’s | Jackie in Switzerland, Spring 2015 | Tagged: Culture, Food, Friends, Housing, Reflection, Switzerland | Permalink
Posted by jackieinswitzerland

Becca in Hungary: BLOOPERS!!

May 6, 2015

While typically bloopers are saved for the end of the show I wanted to bring the bloopers from my time in Hungary out a bit earlier. As my program begins to wrap up in the next couple weeks I want to reflect on how I have changed through this experience, but I can only show how much I have grown if I show you where I first started. And with that I list my favorite “Bloopers” of my trip:

1) This face whenever someone tries to speak Hungarian to me:

2) followed by this face from them when I try to reply back in Hungarian:

3) When I went to the post office to try to mail a letter home, and everyone in the post office started yelling at me for some reason I am still unclear of today. (note: Sorry mom and dad I haven’t sent anymore postcards; the post office is just too scary of a place for me now.)

4) When I accidentally ate sour cream for an entire week because I thought it was a yogurt. WARNING: if you come to Hungary and see big shelves of tejföl it is NOT yogurt!! Hungarians are just in love with sour cream so they have a deceivingly large amount of it which may make yogurt lovers like me think that it is in fact yogurt.

5) This weekend when I went to a small ranch hotel, the concierge at the front desk would literally run to the back room whenever she saw us, in fear that we may ask her questions in English since she knew little English. At least I hope that is the reason she ran away from us…

6) When I was stopped at the metro to check for my metro pass. Because I have a student pass, I also need to carry a student ID with me. In this specific instance I forget my student ID and the metro workers were not happy. I knew this by their raised tone of their voice, but my lack of Hungarian prevented me from picking up all the details. Once they said they were going to call the police I knew I should just pay the fine for my offense and go on my merry way.

7) When taking a train from Vienna back to Budapest we were told that we had to buy first class tickets because there were no seats left in economy. When we got on the train we found the economy section to not only be nearly empty, but also that our first class tickets were not valid.

8) When I got lost in a Hungarian mall because not only do they have one H&M, T-Mobile, etc in each mall, sometimes they have two or three of the same exact store in the same exact mall… This leads to problems when telling someone meet me at H&M…

9) Trying to explain why I came to Budapest to study abroad. Many Hungarians didn’t realize that their countrymen are crazy good at math and a large portion of the greatest mathematicians are in fact Hungarian.

10) Trying to explain that you don’t want alcohol in some drink you are getting… that’s an even stranger concept to grasp for some Hungarians.

While I love to look back at these moments for a good laugh, I also love to look back on these moments to see how far I have come. Now, before buying tickets for a trip I verify online that I am in-fact getting the right price and deal. When I go to the grocery store I avoid tejföl at all costs, and when I am looking for something more specific I try to Google the Hungarian name before I go or ask someone in the store when I get there. I will never board any form of public transit without my student ID, and when I am using public transit in other countries I carefully check I am purchasing the correct ticket.

This semester has made me more aware that we can’t just assume things about the people and cultures we meet throughout our lives. Its not fair that I just assume that everyone I meet should just know English or that this person will understand our cultural differences. These differences, though, are not something to fear but rather to be explored and celebrated. That really is the point of the studying abroad anyways: exploring new cultures and realizing the plethora of ways people think and operate. I just continue to thank everyone that has allowed me to have this opportunity to explore the culture of Hungary and beyond.

Comments Off on Becca in Hungary: BLOOPERS!! | Becca in Hungary, Spring 2015 | Tagged: Academics, Culture, Host University, Hungary, Language, Public Transportation, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Becca F

Becca in Hungary: Class Field Trip!!

April 28, 2015

In grade school, I remember the best parts of any school year were field trips, and even as an official legal adult, those are still the days I value the most in my school year. I guess there are just some things you can never change about a person! This past weekend, my program took a group trip to Lake Balaton. The goals of the trip were to 1) Continue to bond with our fellow AIT classmates and 2) See the countryside of Hungary and learn more about Hungarian culture. My goal now is to reflect on these goals:

1) If you recall some of my first blog posts, I noted that I first went to a two and half week language emersion program. About half of the AIT students participated in this program, while the other half waited to come three weeks later at the official start date of the program. This means half of the program got a jump start at forming new friendships and relationships. Ever since the others arrived, there has always be this divide between the language program students and the new students. For the first time though, I started to notice that the divide between these two groups was beginning to fade. No longer could I remember which people attended the language school or not. It was awesome to see more unity within my program!

Group photo during a hike

A castle we visited

2) I also learned that the countryside of Hungary is completely different than Budapest. In Budapest, I never really have trouble with my lack of mastery of Hungarian. However, in the countryside, no one really speaks English. Most people I spoke to use an “English-Hungarian hybrid language”, where they spoke in Hungarian with some key words in English. Not only do I see a contrast with the language, I also saw a contrast in lifestyle. In Budapest, it seems like people are always out and about, while in the countryside you see very few people roaming the streets. You do not see large supermarkets or stores, but rather small villages spread across a hilly terrain broken apart by large chunks of farms. While people in Budapest seem to be working in big corporate jobs, those in the countryside seem to be taking small local roles in their community.

Landscape of the countryside

For me, I found this countryside style of living to be very charming, and it reminds me that life is not always about the “hussle and bussle” but rather just enjoying the daily joys you receive in your life. It has been amazing to travel the world and experience all these new cultures, but at the end of the day what makes me happy are the basics of life such as having an amazing network of family and friends, being able to get weekly groceries, being able to workout and play frisbee, and so many more! I feel like many successful individuals, such as my fellow University of Richmond Spiders and myself, are always seeking for “more” whatever that “more” is for them (more money, more adventure, more friends, etc.). But this weekend trip, and this study abroad opportunity in general, makes me see that we don’t always need to seek for more, but rather enjoy what we have now.

Comments Off on Becca in Hungary: Class Field Trip!! | Becca in Hungary, Spring 2015 | Tagged: Culture, Friends, Hungary, Reflection, Sightseeing | Permalink
Posted by Becca F

Becca in Hungary: Experiencing Faith Abroad

April 13, 2015

Easter weekend is probably one of my favorite times of the year! In fact, I have been planning this past Easter weekend way before I even arrived in Budapest. For Easter I went to Sevilla, Spain where they have huge Semana de Santa (Holy Week) parades. Each day of Holy Week a couple brotherhoods (groups of religious individuals) will a host a parade that will wind through the city of the Sevilla. The start of each procession is a alter boy carry a large cross. The parade continues with many individuals from the brotherhood including some children passing out candy and also large city bands . The star of the parades though are the pasos which are large, ornate, wooden floats. Typically these floats depict images of Jesus’s crucifixion or the Virgin Mary.

Some of the floats of the parade

Now if the floats themselves aren’t stunning enough for you, if you look below the float you might be able to make out some feet. What are people doing under the float? Well for almost 10 to 14 hours these one ton floats are carried by over a dozen men! UNBELIEVABLE!! These men (woman are not allowed to carry them… yet 🙂 ) are only allowed to carry this float once in their lifetime making a very big honor for the people chosen to carry the paso.

These parades are certainly nothing like the Macy’s parade I am use to seeing around Thanksgiving or local parades in my hometown. While most parades have a more upbeat presence, the Semana De Santa parades are much more somber. They really make you think about your faith and religion. Not only do you see these beautiful depictions of various scenes, but beneath the scene you see many shuffling feet slowly jerking the float forward. Religious or not, it is amazing to witness these men’s testimony to God and their ability to overcome tremendous physical pain for the sake of their beliefs.

On top of the eye opening experience of the parades, I was also able to attend two separate services in Spain. The first was an Easter Mass in the Cathedral of Spain.

My failed attempt to get the whole Cathedral into one picture

A picture from the tower of the Cathedral

As you can tell this Cathedral is more of a fortress then a simple town church. Throughout the Cathedral there were several side chapels so at one time there could be multiple masses going on. This mass for me just didn’t spark my spiritual heart. It was very much a “get them in, get them out” approach rather than an in-depth spiritual experience.

On our way to dinner that night, though, I wanted to stop into one more small chapel, and that is when I found a group of semi-cloistered nuns partaking in a small worship ceremony. The nuns are behind a gated area meaning that they have limited interaction with the public while the priest were in the front leading the service. Within the chapel there were only maybe 5 benches for visitors to stay. The service was the complete opposite of the one I went to in the cathedral. While the cathedral was filled with thousands of people this service had only 4. What amazed me the most about this service was even though I did not understand one word that was being said (it was all in Spanish) I was still so moved by what he was saying. It really showed me that faith can transcend the barriers of language. If you keep your heart open to the message, you can hear the message through your faith rather than through your ears. Going to this service was definitely one of my favorite experiences I have had abroad!

Now that I have returned from Spain and trying to get back into the swing of school, I am committed to staying within Hungary for the rest of the program. I have loved visiting all these new places, but the next month and a half I plan to focus my energy on Hungary.

Comments Off on Becca in Hungary: Experiencing Faith Abroad | Becca in Hungary, Spring 2015 | Tagged: Culture, Hungary, Religion, Spain | Permalink
Posted by Becca F

KyungSun in Scotland: Scattered

March 26, 2015

Things that have been on my mind lately: homesickness, booking flights, buying Edinburgh concert tickets, prescription waste, Harry Potter Pub Quiz, and what I’m having for lunch today. These are a reflection of the many things I am juggling this week. If there was a way to see my thoughts, it would certainly look like a scribbly 2 year-old doodle. So perhaps the best way to give you a better picture of my thoughts is to sketch them out separately. Here goes:

When you’re trying to move on…

Homesickness is like the cold that refuses to go away. It gives you a headache, it’s all you think about, and even when you find a distraction, it still lurks underneath. It’s persistent because when you’re dealing with problems, you usually want to do three things: shut down, shut everyone out, or let everyone in to help you. I think the best place to do all three is at home with your family. I’ve mostly been missing the ease and comfort of home. Being abroad means you have to make a lot of decisions on your own, and lately, I’ve had to make some headache-inducing money decisions. Numbers already stress me out (social sciences all the way!) and after a stressful number-crunching session, takeout and staying in bed become very attractive options.

If you just booked a budget-flight…

Like me, you’d probably be a bit scared. Germanwings’ latest crash struck my heart for the 150 people that were on board and their families. I pray that they find strength during their time of grief. I can’t even imagine how shocking it is knowing that your loved one is gone unexpectedly and how infuriating it is not knowing the cause of the crash. The pilot was experienced, there was no distress signal, and I pray that they find the other black box soon. It could have been anyone. I recently booked two flights to Athens and Rome from a budget-airline before the crash. It’s nerve-racking and another source of stress, but I’m trying to remind myself to have hope in all things – hope that everything will eventually be okay.

Here is a good summary to the story in case you don’t know about it yet: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32035121

Finding good music to keep you sane…

Despite the difficulty in managing money, I’m reminding myself what exactly I’m buying. One of those things are concert tickets. My goal is to visit as many theatres and performance venues in Edinburgh as possible. I hear they are beautiful! Some of them are in old churches or historic buildings which will also make it an even more unique experience compared to performances in the States. Now, as much as I love that Usher is coming to Glasgow (Scotland’s biggest city), I’m also a big fan of musicals and classical music. I know, I know. It’s “outdated”. But I instilled a deep appreciation for it by growing up singing classical music. Plus, contemporary and classical instrument fusion is awesome (see link below for proof). I’m also using UR’s cultural reimbursements, which has eased the burden that I may be coming home broke.

When you go against the World Health Organization….

My MSP told me earlier this month about a life-changing health idea: donating unused medicines to developing countries. I was immediately intrigued and he said he wanted me to look into how to set up this program in Scotland. Success! I now found my topic for my 5,000 word internship research paper. After looking more into it, I discovered that there is a lot of prescription waste in both Scotland, the UK, and the US. This is not to say that our countries are inefficient. Less than 50% of this waste is actually unavoidable due to for example, people switching treatments or passing away before finishing their medicines. However, the avoidable waste is what I’m most concerned with, especially if they are caused by inefficiencies in our prescribing practices. Of course, like with all foreign aid, I have to be careful of the unintended consequences that may come from drug donations. Apparently the World Health is not a fan of donating medicines abroad. However, hopefully my research will lead me to discover some safe, sustainable, and legal practices!

When you’re breathing the same air as J.K. Rowling…

I have yet to see Ms. Rowling herself. I haven’t checked if she’s out on tour, but my friend does know where she lives…Despite the fact that J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter in Edinburgh, HP it’s not a big tourist hype here. There is, however, a lot of local and campus-hype for HP. So far I’ve come across an Azkaban ceilidh, the Harry Potter Society, and tonight is the Quizzard (Harry Potter Pub Quiz) hosted at the local pub. I’m hoping the triwizard cup will be the victory prize. Fun fact: Rowling drew inspiration for some of HP’s famous places like Diagon Alley from alleyways and places here in Edinburgh.

Finally, the most important meal of the day….

Today’s special is the pulled pork sandwich. Sold.

My thoughts may seem scattered, but they’re all pieces of my abroad experience. Yes, lately, I’ve mostly been tired, homesick, and stressed. But I like to take these moments to re-focus where I am. I zoom out from how I’m feeling in that particular time and see all the things that’s happened so far. Doing this has made me realize that despite the stress right now, I am also paving the way toward cool and memorable experiences.

And when even this doesn’t work, I always have Leslie Knope and Indian takeout.

Leave a Comment » | KyungSun in Scotland, Spring 2015 | Tagged: Culture, Family, Food, Music, Reflection, Scotland | Permalink
Posted by Klee

KyungSun in Scotland: Getting Plugged In

March 23, 2015

Sometimes I forget that I’m not a typical exchange student.

This past week, my other exchange friends reminded me that essays, tutorials, and societies still existed. These three things about Uni (University) life had far slipped from my mind once I began my internship. Although I do not miss the workload, the one thing I do wish I did was to join more societies. I did do the Music Society, but I unfortunately wasn’t able to attend the concert. I had booked trip to Ireland and realized at the next rehearsal for that concert was that same weekend. #fail

I admit, I do have a lot more free time compared to the other exchange students. But let me dispel your first worry that I probably sit in my room all day. I wrote in my first blog post that if I have spare time, I would spend it going out to explore a new part of the city. I am happy to say that I’ve been keeping up with this promise.

Things I’ve discovered so far on my spontaneous walks in the city include:

Some extreme and strange street performances. Its not uncommon to hear bagpipes on the streets, but my ears perked up when I heard Leonard Cohen’s, “Hallelujah” (one of my favorites). It was played via the flute pipes by a man wearing a Native American headdress. I also saw a man eating fire and another playing the violin while on a suspended line.

Street performance on the Royal Mile

Delicious local food. The best food can always be found at farmer’s markets. I found a great one in Stockbridge that had some noteworthy Kenyan Samosas and Spanish paella. Yum.

Stockbridge Farmer’s Market

Celebrity sightings. I only noticed that fame was in our presence when I saw the traffic commotion of…the Irish Rugby team in front of the Balmoral, aka the most expensive/grandest hotel in Edinburgh. I looked them up later and discovered that they are currently 3rd in the World Rugby rankings (as of 3/2/2015).

Irish Rugby Team Sighting on Princes Street

Each time I go out, I see more of why all my friends, professors, and advisors have told me that Edinburgh is one of their favorite cities. There is always music somewhere, the people in general are reserved, but friendly, the buildings are beautifully historic, and the city is so alive in its own Scottish culture, but also in other cultures. Its not uncommon to see an Indian restaurant, Pizza Hut, a Scottish tourist shop, and French pastry shop all in one row.

While it is easier to get plugged into Edinburgh city, it definitely has been more difficult to get plugged in at Edinburgh Uni. There aren’t many social events that unifies the campus like a football game or a Pig Roast would on a given Saturday. Rather, it’s a more common part of the European uni life to be part of the campus by being part of the communities already within the campus. Aka, by joining multiple societies.

One of the many overwhelming pamphlets I recieved during orientation

But joining a society while doing the internship has been semi-difficult. There are interns who are actively part of societies; one of them recently had a show that we attended through the Opera Society and another two are part of the Sports Unions. But for me, the key to getting more involved at school and meeting more Scottish people has been to go to society events.

Just last night, I went to the Improverts Show, an improvise comedy society, and it was one of the best Friday nights I’ve had. My flatmate and I were warned that we probably won’t get tickets unless we bought them ahead of time. But fortunately we got in line early enough before they sold out. And I could see why we were warned. It was packed and hilarious. Its also a very popular Uni event because apparently, they sell out for every Friday show. That’s a pretty good track record.

The Improverts!

Here is a snapshot of what the pre-show looked like:

There is never a shortage of events here at Edinburgh. This week, I’m going to a Harry Potter themed pub quiz, a theatre festival for social change, and my Scottish neighbor invited us to see her play, Candlewasters. I find out about most of these events through friends or my kind Scottish neighbor. There is no convenient “Spiderbytes” equivalent here at Edinburgh and you really have to dig through Facebook and read the posters throughout campus. But despite the sheer number of events, this has also meant that I’ve also been able to find a lot more entertainment/fun things to do that fit me better. It’s definitely one of the things I’ll miss most about Edinburgh.

P.S. If you want to check out the list of Edinburgh’s 240+ awesome societies for anything and everything, check out: https://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/getinvolved/societies/findasociety/.

Leave a Comment » | KyungSun in Scotland, Spring 2015 | Tagged: Culture, Friends, Host University, Music, Scotland | Permalink
Posted by Klee

Fabiana in China: Chinese New Year for Beginners

February 19, 2015

Red lanterns, golden dragons and white goats.

YES! Spring is finally here! The arrival of the Chinese New Year (or modernly called as the Spring Festival) can be seen, smelled, and touched everywhere you go. For a foreigner like me however, the countdown to a holiday like this has meant smiles, less traffic and clear skies. What not to love about it!?

While trying to find out more about the holiday, I found a short&sweet video I’d like to share with all of you. The video explains what the most common Chinese New Year traditions are and things History.com “bets you didn’t know” about the holiday. Deep stuff.

http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/chinese-new-year/videos/bet-you-didnt-know-chinese-new-year

As part of this week’s language activity, our professors organized a dumpling-making（饺子） evening. We gathered in the immersion guys’ apartment and were taught how to wrap （包）pork and onion leaves dumplings (猪肉大葱饺子)，and chives and eggs dumplings (韭菜鸡蛋饺子). Although I did most of the taking-pictures part and not much of the actual making of it, we all learned about the different techniques used and traditions held behind the dumpling-making. We definitely enjoyed our time with the whole Immersion-track family.

The most interesting thing I learned that day was the reason why northern Chinese people eat the dumplings on New Year’s Eve. According to my professors, the tradition of eating dumplings occurs because the word dumpling or jiaozi (饺子) in Chinese, sounds like a Chinese word meaning “bidding farewell to the old and ushering the new” (credits to travelchinaguide.com for the translation). I can’t think of a better adjective than superstitious when I think about Chinese people and customs, but then again who am I to judge after freaking-out every time someone tries to hand me the salt.

Next week, we’ll be having a break from 5am coffee and endless character-writing for our one-week Spring Break vacation. As a treat to our hard work, today, two friends and I decided we wanted to travel. YOLO right?

With the luck we have, we managed to get train tickets to Harbin, China, or may I say, the “Ice and Amusement World.” So yes, I’ll be freezing to death in one of the most beautiful cities in China, most know for its ice sculpture festival, Siberian tigers, and Russian landmarks. 10 hours in a hard-seat train during the famous “spring travel rush,” OH! am I going to breath in Chinese culture. I can’t wait!

Comments Off on Fabiana in China: Chinese New Year for Beginners | Fabiana in China, Spring 2015 | Tagged: China, Culture, Food, Friends, History, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Fabiana in China

Dan in Argentina: Getting Ready!

Layla in Australia: Introduction

Jackie in Switzerland: The (almost) End

Jackie in Switzerland: Flashback to the 1920’s

Becca in Hungary: BLOOPERS!!

Becca in Hungary: Class Field Trip!!

Becca in Hungary: Experiencing Faith Abroad

KyungSun in Scotland: Scattered

KyungSun in Scotland: Getting Plugged In

Fabiana in China: Chinese New Year for Beginners

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