The Power of The Uniform

February 17, 2012

Here in Bangkok, the uniform that I wear gives me more privileges and attention than I could ever have imagined. Some previous exchange students had warned me about this before coming, but I didn’t fully understand it until I started spending 95% of my time in a uniform. So, here goes uniform 101:

1. Anyone with any excuse to wear a uniform does so. I don’t know why, or where the tradition came from, but it is just the way it is. During my first few weeks in Thailand, I kept seeing pictures and posters of individuals in what looked like military uniforms everywhere. Their uniforms were white and decorated with all sorts of medals and badges. Well, it turns out that they are government workers, and that all government workers wear a uniform. Even bank workers wear a uniform. Each bank has its signature “color,” and their employees (many of them women) all wear what looks like an flight attendant’s uniform.

2. “No Uniform, No Service.” All Thammasat University BBA (business administration) students are required to wear a uniform to all classes. At the BBA counter, there is a sign in English, and then translated into Thai that clearly states “No Uniform, No Service.” And they mean it. I have a friend who went to the counter to ask the BBA staff a question, and they refused her because she was not wearing a uniform.

3. No Uniform, No Attendance. Thammasat has a strict attendance policy – miss three classes and you cannot take the midterm or final exams. If you don’t show up within the first 15 minutes of class, you are counted late, and then another 15 minutes and you are counted absent, no exceptions. The kicker is that if you show up perfectly on time, but are not wearing the proper uniform, you will be counted as absent. No. Exceptions.

4. Thammasat is the Harvard of Thailand. And therefore, wearing the Thammasat uniform speaks volumes. The most crucial components of my uniform include a black skirt, a white short-sleeved collared shirt, official Thammasat pin, and a belt with an official Thammasat buckle. It is these buckles and pins that differentiate a Thammasat student from a student in any other school, as most student also wear a black skirt and white shirt. Here is a photo from the Thammasat website that shows some students in uniform:

The other night, I went straight from school to meet up with some friends on Khao San Road, Bangkok’s official tourist/backpacker/hippie heaven. As I was walking through the streets, everyone was staring at me. The foreigners were staring, seemingly wondering “Who is this white person in a school uniform?!” and the Thais were probably thinking the same thing. I went into a McDonalds to buy a water, and the girls behind the counters were whispering, and all I understood was “Thammasat, Thammasat.” So in Thai I said “Yes, I am a Thammasat student.” They couldn’t believe it.

Most days, if I am walking in my uniform, I hear the people behind me whispering “Thammasat” or the people crossing my path in the other direction staring at my belt with intense eyes, trying to see which school I study at. When and if they are able to figure it out, I hear a chorus of “Ahhhh, Thammasat!” My favorite uniform moment came this evening when I was in a 7-eleven with my roommate, and the employees behind the counter were obnoxiously greeting incoming tourists in Thai, which I’m sure is their way of messing with tourists to make a boring work shift fun. It was hilarious, so we couldn’t help but laugh. Soon, the employees were also laughing, and they quickly noticed my uniform and figured out that I was a Thammasat student. As soon as I confirmed this, they started saying “Ohhhh, Thammasat, Thammasat!!” and each of them reached to shake my hand, meanwhile repeating “Ahh, Thammasat, Thammasat.” I have to say, one of my favorite Thailand moments.

1 Comment | Samantha in Thailand, Spring 2012 | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by samanthainthailand

Botswana, Week 3: Protests

February 17, 2012

A couple of weeks ago, there was some tension on campus. The University of Botswana (UB) is working very hard to improve the image, credibility, and stability of the school. However, the actions being taken by the university caused an uprising among students. Although the students that I have spoken with understood the circumstances surrounding the situation, they disagreed upon how to handle it.

Some of the measures UB indicated they would take included:

Close 411:

All of the buildings on campus have a number, unlike at U of R, and most schools in the States, where we name our buildings for other numerous reasons. The bar we have on campus is referred to as “411” and is located only walking distance away.

UB decided that they would consider the closing of 411. The intended date for permanent closure was fall 2012. UB chose to close 411 due to the fact that it caused many problems, such as excess consumption of alcohol, unwanted physical and emotional risks, and constant visitation from outside guests that were not students. Also, unless one orders a soda (known as pop), then he or she will receive a fragile glass bottle with no way of recycling or properly disposing it around campus; trash cans and other forms of waste are still ongoing issues in most developing countries, including Botswana.

However, the UB students are looking at it in a differesent perspective. They know that closing of 411 does not just mean that there will not be a bar on campus – it’s a matter of student rights and freedom. The school has offered to compromise by moving the bar on the edge of campus, instead of closing it entirely, but students’ protests only gained momentum. This is mainly due to the fact that the students saw the real meaning of moving the bar away from middle of campus: Botswana law says that alcohol may be consumed only 500 meters away from any alcohol-serving establishment. Therefore, if the bar is moved to the edge of campus (away from student housing and comfortable seating areas), then that means that any forms of alcohol in open areas of campus, and especially living hostels/dorms, is strictly prohibited.

End Supplementary Exams:

UB’s rules and procedures for students are very different from schools in the United States. For example, if a student fails any subject during the semester, then they are allowed to take what is called a “Supplementary Exam.” This exam is taken once at the end of the year and can erase the previous failing grade received (if passed, of course). The students became very angry upon hearing the news that supplementary exams might be done away with.

Lower Allowance:

Currently, most UB students have their tuition and most other academic needs paid for by the government. Also, a monthly allowance is given in what is considered “to be used for living purposes” only. The allowance comes in cash form and may be used for anything, without any restrictions. UB has been contemplating lowering the allowance because they believe that it is being used for alternative and undesirable purposes that lead to unhealthy choices. Although there is no substantial and realistic evidence for the school to believe this, 411 always happens to be at full capacity immediately after the 23rd of each month – the date that the allowances are distributed.

No More Games:

The Inter Varsity games are like the Olympics, but on a college level, with surrounding country universities participating against each other. UB has decided to not host the Inter Varsity games this semester. This angered students and contributed to the protests that were to come. The school’s reasoning for this was for the safety and security of the students, because the IV Games attract the general population and students from other schools, which can create security concerns.

—————————————————————————————————-

Fortunately for my friends and I, we had left for a trip to Namibia. Windows, signs, buildings, and many other things were broken during the protests. Many students, especially those in charge, were arrested and suspended.

UB closed from January 25th-27th, and upon re-opening, there have been no more protests. As of now, none of the initial propositions by the school have been put in place. Even the IV games seem like a possibility, but a very unlikely possibility. Even though the school has not initiated anything yet, they seem to be moving in the direction of what they originally intended. For example, although they haven’t closed down 411 yet, but we’ve noticed the prices have gone up 15% – slowly pushing students and guests to go elsewhere.

Leave a Comment » | Igor in Botswana, Spring 2012 | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by igorinbotswana

Shabbat Shalom

February 10, 2012

There is something really intriguing about a country that truly takes a day of rest.  Every Saturday in Israel, shops and businesses close down, buses don’t run their normal routes, and most of the people you see are taking their children to the playground or having a peaceful walk.  After three intensely packed, exciting weeks of classes, tours, making friends, and finding a rhythm to life in a new place, taking this time for reflection and processing has felt more needed than ever before.

Even though it takes more advanced planning to make sure you have all the groceries and things you need before the stores shut down late Friday afternoon, I love the feel of Shabbat.  In my opinion, it limits you to the most meaningful ways of spending your time, whether it is time spent growing closer to God or building meaningful relationships with the people around you.  Last night, I had a quiet dinner with three friends, and it was a wonderful time spent talking through the challenges and joys of our time in Israel thus far.

Last Shabbat, three friends and I hiked from the university to the beach.  We left the university around noon, and made it to the beach just after sunset, after five intense hours of scrambling down the rocky trail running through the national forest that parallels to the city almost all the way to the beach.  At least it was all downhill!  At one point, we came to a fork in the road and were unsure of the way.  Luckily, there was an Israeli family who had stopped for a break right there on the path, and we were able to get some directions from them.  But it wasn’t just a quick exchange like an encounter would have typically been in the US; they engaged in further conversation with us, asking how long we would be in Haifa, and when they found out we were students, asked what we were studying.  I feel like this interaction exemplifies the relaxed, relationship-oriented atmosphere of Shabbat.  Overall, though, Israelis have been incredibly helpful and generous in all the encounters I have had with them so far.

One thing about adjusting to Israeli culture that has been interesting is that there is not one, but many cultures for me to adjust to.  Within the international school, there are students from all over the world, each with their own perspective on life and Israel, and within Israeli culture itself, there are many differences.  The respectful, gentle personalities of my Arab roommates contrast with the more blunt and outgoing personalities of the Jewish Israeli roommates some of my American friends live with.  It is quite a culture study!  At times, it feels like I am studying abroad in multiple countries at once.

I have been learning Hebrew at an alarming rate, although I’m still trying to get confident enough to practice in front of people outside of class.  I have been trying to order at the little sandwich counter on campus in Hebrew whenever I have a break, and the guy who runs it always smiles to himself as I struggle through the words.  I am getting better, though!  Although I have realized more than ever that learning Hebrew is a lifelong process.  But I’m taking this as a challenge, to see how much I can learn in the few short months I am here. We just have one week left of Ulpan (my intensive Hebrew class) — I can’t believe how it has flown by!  This has been the most intense language learning experience of my life, but also a very fulfilling one.  Next week, we start our regular semester classes, and the Ulpan group of 97 people will be joined by about 25 more international students, but we will also lose some students that were here just for the Ulpan.  That will give me even more to get adjusted to, but I am excited about meeting even more new people!

Ruins of the ancient city of Caesarea — some of which weren’t uncovered until 1992.

Hummus in Akko, an old crusader city just north of Haifa.

Me on our epic hike!

1 Comment | Rebekah in Israel, Spring 2012 | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by rebekahinisrael

Traveling is done… let orientation begin!

February 3, 2012

As you can assume from the title of my blog, I have made it to the Netherlands!  After a long, but comfortable flight to London, a short flight to Amsterdam, and a 2 1/2 hour train ride to Maastricht, I have arrived!  I must say that although I enjoy traveling to new places, I wish I could save several hours by teleporting myself to wherever I would like to go.  Despite the long journey, I had a nice time in the London airport.

My trip was also nice because one of the student organizations at UCM picked me up from the train station and took me to what would become my home for the next 4 months.  A funny story about the train ride:  I was buying my ticket in the Amsterdam airport and the man helping me circled where I needed to transfer and made sure I understood what I needed to do (since it was in Dutch) before I walked away.  When the transaction was done I walked away, saw a young guy looking at me so I smiled out of courtesy than kept walking.  I made it about two steps before I heard someone say “Whitney?”  I was really confused as to who would be calling my name in the Amsterdam airport, but naturally I turned around to see if I knew the person.  “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.  Are you by any chance the Whitney who is going to UCM?”  Then I realized that he was the person who was supposed to get picked up from the Maastricht train station with me, since our train was arriving at the same time.  Once we exchanged brief introductions, we proceeded to the platform and our 2 1/2 hour ride began.

Re-focusing on the title of this entry, now: Traveling is done, so let orientation begin.  Today was my first day of orientation.  When I woke up this morning and looked out the window, snow was covering the ground, and it was still coming down.  Snow is a kind of rare occurrence in Virginia, so I was excited.  My second reaction was the realization that I needed to prepare to walk approximately 20 minutes in snow, since I don’t have a bike yet.  I also had a feeling that it was going to be extremely cold, so I put on layers and headed out.  Although the snow kept falling during my walk and continued throughout the day and most of the evening, it actually wasn’t as cold as I thought it was going to be.  I have to admit that I kind of enjoyed walking in the snow; it was peaceful.

Once I made it to UCM, I welcomed the breakfast and immediately started mingling with the other exchange, transfer, and freshmen students.  I met people from literally all over the world: Singapore, Australia, the U.S., Germany, Peru, and, of course, the Netherlands, just to name a few.  Everyone was friendly, so it was easy to talk to people.  During orientation, we received our class schedules, learned about UCM’s online programs (student email address and online file storage), and began PBL (Problem Based Learning) training.  I was worried what my schedule was going to look like, because I was told that it was possible to have class anytime between 8:30am and 6pm, Monday through Friday.  Luckily, I don’t have class on Monday, and I only have one 8:30am class.

You may be curious about PBL.  In a nutshell, it’s when a tutor (equivalent to a professor) observes the class while an appointed student (the discussion leader) leads a discussion about a specific text.  At the end of this discussion, the students collectively create learning goals to serve as a guide while they read for the next class.  These tutorials take place twice a week, whereas the lecture for the course only takes place once a week.  I’m excited to see how this works, especially since it’s very different from what I’m used to at UR.  I have orientation for two more days, and then classes will begin this Tuesday. In particular, I’m looking forward to the “Introduction to Dutch Culture” lecture.

One more thing that I found interesting about my first day of orientation: the food.  For lunch, a Dutch student took a few of us to a nearby deli place, which thankfully had an English menu.  As you can probably assume, sandwiches are not something that are unique to the Netherlands.  Also, for dinner, the student organization that picked me up from the train station organized a dinner that was only 5 euros.  Frankly, I didn’t really care what they were providing, since it was inexpensive and it meant I did not have to cook that night.  It was Chinese take-out.  It was absolutely delicious and well worth the money, but once again, Chinese food isn’t a unique part of Dutch culture.  With that said,  tomorrow I will venture to the grocery store.  Wish me luck!

Leave a Comment » | Spring 2012, Whitney in The Netherlands | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by whitneyinthenetherlands

Barbados, Week 2: Where the Wild Things Are

January 30, 2012

It’s the start of a new week, and I finally feel like I’ve got my head on straight.  Survival mode has seamlessly transitioned into “vacation” mode, as the first week of classes at the University of the West Indies consists of only one class meeting, in which the professor may or may not show up, merely handing out the syllabus and discussing it if he or she does indeed come.  The days have blended together, as my biggest daily decision is whether to head down the hill to Batt’s Rock Beach with the morning crew, the afternoon crew, or both.  There’s been days when I’ve rolled out of bed and thought to myself, “there has to be something I have to do… I can’t have this open of a schedule”, but, in reality, the only absolute necessities of the day are picking out some delicious food to eat at the cafeteria and tracking down the lecture halls for my 6:00 or 7:00 pm classes.  After the hectic hustle and bustle of the first few days — sorting out school payments, navigating the transportation systems, and getting my class schedule straightened out — things are definitely feeling more natural.

As soon as I had become comfortable with life on UWI campus, though, the urge to keep exploring was buzzing around my head.  This was probably one of the last weekends of the semester of abundant free time before my nose would be stuck in the books, I realized, and thus it was prime for checking out some of the more remote destinations on this island of 166 square miles.  Although Barbados is not necessarily known for its abundant wildlife, there were rumors that a place called the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, in the northern parish of St. Peter, had a number of different species within their confines.  Oh, and not all of them were in cages!  Our group crammed ourselves onto the local bus headed north toward Speightstown, passing the ritzy tourist-trap Holetown on the way.

The Wildlife Reserve is located in the middle of picturesque rolling sugarcane fields, but once inside the “zoo,” visitors follow winding stone pathways that are nicely shaded by hundreds of tall trees.  Immediately, the cameras were out, and before we walked more than a dozen yards into the park, many of us were excitedly snapping countless pictures of the large tortoises meandering through.  Little did we know that Bajan deers (formally known as red brocket deer), peacocks, pythons (caged, of course), parrots, and the famous green monkeys awaited our eager eyes.  A Bajan zoo-keeper distributed peanuts to those who wanted to feed the monkeys, and it was a challenge to keep a straight face as the mischievous-looking monkeys hopped up next to you, uncurled your hands with their miniature fingers, and proceeded to eat all the food in your hands in mere seconds.  Reactions ranged from one girl shaking in nervous energy to another proclaiming she could “die happy” after having had such a close encounter with the green monkeys.

The next nature adventure our group undertook was one that I, myself, had searched out and organized.  Before I arrived in Barbados, I knew two things:  One, I wanted to see as much of the island as possible; and two, I wanted to do so on a budget where I could still eat during the last month of school.  The Barbados National Trust hikes are the love-child of such ideals, as they are free hikes guided by the Barbados National Hikes every Sunday at either 6:00 am, 3:30 pm, or 5:30 pm.  This Sunday’s hike took place in Foul Bay, a complete geographic unknown to me before that afternoon, and I discovered it was all the way on the other side of the island.  I called a taxi, gave him all the logistics for the 3:30 pm hike, and estimated that about 10-15 students would be going on the hike.  Sunday afternoon, nearly 30 students came out to our meeting spot to take the taxi!

Foul Bay turned out to be quite an amazing scene.  We drove down a steep hill, parked among a thick enclave of trees, and marched out onto the beach, lined with palm trees and sandwiched between huge stone cliffs.  Our tour guide was a wizened, older Bajan man named George, who not only gave us some historical background about the area we covered, but also launched into some serious philosophical musings about the future of renewable energy, the dangers of money, and World War III.  At one point in the 6- mile, three hour hike, he took me aside and told me that “you, young man, are going to be the leader of your group.  There is a lot of you, and we need to make sure everyone makes it back”.  I took away a strange satisfaction that George would make me second in command without any previous knowledge of my abilities, but I agreed to keep an eye of our pack of 29 and make sure no one fell behind.  Our hike took us through the beachside forest, up a stone staircase to the top of the sea cliffs, and winding through the grass fields that skirted the coast.  On the way back, we took a number of back roads that would through villages of both large and small, colorful Bajan abodes, often waving to the onlooking locals as we passed.

We tramped back into the beach parking lot well after sundown, and it’s safe to say we were all tired and hungry to the bone.  As we were clambering aboard the taxis that would return us to campus, George stopped me and said “I made a good choice in choosing you as your group leader.  You did a good job, and I look forward to seeing you on more of the hikes!”  Again, I wasn’t aware of anything I did to deserve such high praise from our tour guide, but I guess someone with so much life experience was able to see in myself something that I’ve never truly noticed.  Whatever it was, I will try to cultivate it further in my time here at the University of the West Indies, knowing that it’d make George proud.

The stunning view of the east coast from Farley National Park.

A green monkey catching a ride on a tortoise at the Barbados Wildlife Reserve.

Foul Bay beach is sandwiched between rocky cliffs.

George appointed me group leader of the exchange students.

Leave a Comment » | Ryan in Barbados, Spring 2012 | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by ryaninbarbados

Barbados: In the Land of Fish and Cricket

January 23, 2012

As I bounced around in the back of a jam-packed ZR (pronounced Zed-R), which is more or less an industrial mini-bus, with loud Bajan music blasting through the air, the stark contrasts of Bajan versus American life were definitely in the forefront of my mind.  Minutes earlier, 20 exchange students managed to cram into the mini-bus on our way to Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, with an older Bajan women and her son, unfazed by the apparent invasion of everyone’s personal space.  When you’re forced to nearly sit on a relative stranger’s lap, becoming comfortable around the other exchange students has been comparatively easy.  All things considered, however, the ZRs are a great way to travel, as they’ll take you anywhere on their respective routes for a mere US $1.00.  I joked to the only other American male exchange student, Glen, that I should start one of these ZRs in America, but he shook his head, responding, “they would never let this many people in a vehicle this size in the states… too much of a safety hazard”.

Transportation, though, was just one of the many great unknowns I faced as I stepped out of the taxi and onto campus at the University of West Indies.  It became clear to me that my first few days in Barbados would consist of a less severe state of survival mode.  After I moved into my on-campus single room, my goals for the afternoon broke down to 1) find an ATM to get money 2) find food 3) find my way back to campus.  Part of the studying abroad experience, I suppose, is not always figuring out things the easy way, as I ended up walking for two hours in the rain in my search for a local restaurant; I ended up getting bread, chips, and Sprite from a local mini-mart, which sufficed for my first night’s dinner on the island.  Being the American that I am, I assumed there would be at least five different types of restaurants on every corner, especially near a University campus.  Evidently, Bajans are much more self-sufficient and opt for the cooking at home option rather than spend their hard-earned money out on the town.

My fortune changed the next morning, however, as I discovered at our foreign exchange orientation that the typical exchange student here at UWI was Canadian, female, and very friendly.  Facebook was able to quickly unify everybody in our coordination of daily plans, and after a day of touring campus and doing the mandatory meet-and-greet, we decided to head down to the famous Friday night Oistins Fish Fry for our first cultural experience.  The fish fry is exactly what it sounds like: a ton of small food vendors and restaurants all lined up in between the beach and the road with local bands or DJs providing some background music.  It was packed full of tourists fresh off the cruise ship, so we all settled down with some food and drinks and continued to figure out who’s who, where they live, and other basics.  I hadn’t met so many new people at one time since freshmen year at Richmond, so it took all my brain power to keep names and faces together.

The first truly cultural event I went to, as the beach does not count (in my opinion), was the Caribbean Cricket Championship at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.  If you want to get a good perspective on how important cricket is to Bajans, just know that the entire UWI campus is literally centered around the “Oval”, which is baseball’s equivalent of a diamond.  A US$10 ticket got us great seats for not only the 3rd place match between Barbados and the Windward Islands, but the championship match between Trinidad and Jamaica.  The group who went consisted of 19 girls from Canada, the United States, and Finland — oh, and me.  Being in a fraternity back at Richmond, and thus hanging out with a lot of guys most of the time, this was definitely a different scene.  While I grappled with figuring out the rules of cricket as the game progressed, the girls were busy discussing future baby names and how they wanted their dream weddings to go.  I cracked up laughing as the conversation turned to which cricket player they thought was the cutest.  Unfortunately, Barbados had a terrible day and only scored 101 runs after 10 batters — a very poor showing, I eventually discerned — and they lost to the Windward Islands in the 3rd place game.  I actually really enjoyed watching the game and the reactions of the crowd, who were a lot of fun — there was a ragtag band of percussionists who played from time to time, and we ended up doing the wave numerous times.  After nearly five hours of cricket, however, I was pretty saturated and ready to head back to campus, where I fell asleep streaming the Giants vs. 49ers playoff game on my computer.  I guess after a weekend of pure exploration and discovering new people and places, an NFL playoff game was too familiar an entertainment to keep me awake.

The rowdy Bajan crowd cheers on the national cricket team.

Swinging from the rope swing at the Boatyard Beach Club.

Batt’s Rock Bay Beach — just a five minute walk from campus.

Leave a Comment » | Ryan in Barbados, Spring 2012 | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by ryaninbarbados

Christmas time in Milan

January 20, 2012

Christmas, to me, is a very traditional time of year. While, in many cases, I like to shake it up, try new things, and have new experiences, Christmas is one thing I always like to keep the same. For me, Christmas creates the magic of the season, and I always try to keep to my traditions, which highlight my holiday. These traditions include: not listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving, but then listening to it every day, slowly building myself up to a Christmas frenzy that culminates in Christmas Eve midnight mass; watching A Muppet Christmas Carol with my family; and waking up to Christmas at my house.

However, knowing Bocconi’s final exam policy for international students would keep me from home until late on December 23rd, I knew I had to take action to get me into the Christmas spirit before then.

Now, I already mentioned how traditional I am about Christmas, but I have to say, my attitude of being open to new experiences helped propel me to success yet again. The City of Milan took on a great atmosphere, with Christmas lights, ornaments, and garland decorating streets throughout the city. Decorations were out, people were in great spirits, and despite being distracted by an intense amount of studying, this helped to make my last weeks in Milan quite enjoyable.

The enjoyment started with the Milan Christmas Market, which opens annually from the 13th – 19th of December. This market was incredible. With tents completely surrounding the large Castello Sforzesco (a castle) and leading up to the beautiful Parco Sempione (a park), it was in a perfect central location of the city. Flooded with people everyday, it was a mad house, with people purchasing antiques, CDs, wood carvings, paintings… anything you could think of, besides mainstream consumer products. The best thing for me had to be all of the food and snack carts. For the traditional eater, there were Italian pastries (including incredible cannoli, fried donuts, and my favorite, Nutella crepes), delicious panzerotti, sausage sandwiches, and even a cart with 100 different types of jelly beans. Braver participants could even try a fried, hollowed-out coconut, or a grilled and sugared corn-on-the-cob-on-a-stick. The weather was certainly cold, but the crowds of people, amazing food, and festive music kept you more than distracted. (I even got my grandparents a real Italian newspaper there from 1929!)

The next of my fond Christmas memories came during a final night out with all of my friends from Richmond. With 15 of us studying in Milan, we had all had a great opportunity to bond and decided to celebrate our strengthened friendships and shared memories with one last goodbye dinner. A classic Italian dinner, complete with meat, pasta, and red wine, was excellent and led to a casual stroll around downtown Milan in order to digest. We walked to the Duomo, which was home to a beautiful and enormous Christmas tree for the holiday season. It was quite a sight to see, and helped all of us forget about the stresses of finals for a little bit and be launched quickly into the Christmas spirit. After being in awe at the tree’s beauty, taking some pictures, and even participating in some impromptu American caroling, we all felt much more comfortable about spending our holiday season away from home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctq3V1pT9z8&feature=related

My third, and final, lovely Christmas memory from my abroad experience came in the form of a final goodbye party with all of my international friends. Over the course of the semester, I made many friends from around the world through my intensive Italian class, through living in an international dorm, and by coaching my intramural soccer team. With friends from France, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, and, of course, Italy, I was able to meet people I never would have otherwise met and was able to see parts of the world in a new light. My international friends and I decided to have a goodbye party complete with a Christmas gift exchange, or Polyanna. We all bought gifts for a specific person with a 15 euro limit (we are still broke college kids) and many people cooked dishes from their home countries, so we had a wonderful Christmas feast and gift exchange. While it was hard saying goodbye to these people, knowing I might never see them again, we went out on a high note with a really nice night, and the promise to keep in touch.

Overall, this was far from my normal Christmas, but in some ways, it was more meaningful. When I returned home, I was reminded of the importance of family and friendship, which is what Christmas is truly about, and I truly wanted nothing for Christmas besides being around the people I love and care about. Christmas time in Milan is lovely, and being together with my loved ones for the first time in 4 months for Christmas proved to be a magical occasion. Once again, Milan gave me one final great experience.

Leave a Comment » | Fall 2011, John in Italy | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by johninitaly

Falling in Love with Bangkok

January 5, 2012

After a 6 hour flight to London, and then an 11 hour flight to Bangkok, I have finally arrived in Thailand!!

What did I first notice after arriving here? Despite the fact that this is very much a city, there is greenery everywhere!! Lining the highways are palm trees, plants, and every tropical flower imaginable.  It is truly paradise.  Today I had my first adventure in Bangkok, alone, and after only two days here I have completely fallen in love with the city.

One of my main missions of the day was to get my uniform for Thammasat University where I will be studying for the next semester.  There are many signs around the university that state that any student without a uniform will not be served; so they take the uniform thing very seriously. I went to the bookstore at Thammasat and after many hand motions and pointing to a picture of the uniform, I was able to communicate that I needed to buy a uniform– only to be told uniforms are no longer sold at the bookstore.  Great. My Thammasat orientation packet said it would be at the bookstore, and the email I received yesterday about orientation reiterated this fact.  But nonetheless, no uniform.  The gentleman at the bookstore who was helping me kept repeating “tuktuk” and “market” meaning I could take a tuktuk to get the uniform at a local market.  I had him write down the name of the market in Thai because I have learned this is the best way to accomplish anything around here: with actual words, in Thai, written on a piece of paper.  I walked outside and ending up hailing a cab.  After much more confusion my taxi driver motioned down a street saying “here, here.”  The only problem was that the street was completely packed with millions of identical looking clothing stands, none of which seemed to be selling official Thammasat uniforms.

I went up to one of the stall owners to ask where I could find a Thammasat uniform, and he was wonderful.   He took it upon himself to guide me through the market, bringing me to each stall that I needed to go to to get the essentials for my uniform.  Every stall owner was so incredibly sweet.  I was overwhelmed with how generous and kind everyone was to me.  I never felt taken advantage of, and felt such genuine warmth from everyone.  After my shopping was complete I grabbed a taxi to go back to the house.  Instead of taking a taxi to the doorstep, however, I decided to walk the last bit of the way to completely soak up my surroundings.   Here are a couple of pictures of the street I am staying on until I move into my apartment:

I am in love the freedom of being able to walk alone and explore the city all by myself, on only my second day in Thailand.  It is the most liberating and wonderful feeling, a feeling that I never had studying abroad in Kenya last semester.  I am so excited for the next five months here!!

Leave a Comment » | Samantha in Thailand, Spring 2012 | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by samanthainthailand

The Start of an Incredible Adventure

January 4, 2012

I can’t believe that I am beginning another blog, and with that, another adventure abroad.  My name is Samantha and I have been back at home in Concord, Massachusetts, for about two weeks since returning from a semester abroad in Kenya.  I am a junior international business major, and could not help but take full advantage of the opportunity to go abroad, by choosing to go abroad for two semesters in two different locations.  My semester in Kenya actually had nothing to do with my business major; rather it was an SIT (School of International Training) program focused on community health and development, which are both passions of mine.  It was an incredible four months, involving living in two different homestays, experiencing life with no running water and no electricity, navigating daily life in a dangerous city, and learning an incredible amount by living as much a typical Kenyan life as possible.  I have a feeling Bangkok won’t be quite the same experience….

In Bangkok I will be studying at Thammasat University, through the university’s international business exchange program.   As part of the exchange program I will be there with students from all around the world, which I am incredibly excited about.  I will also be there with one of my best friends from Richmond, Addie.  We are planning to live in an apartment together, and from what I have  heard these apartments are are a far cry from the village living I experienced in Kenya: most that I have come across resemble apartments in the US, fully equipped with a gym and a pool.  In addition to school, I am planning to do an internship with the non-profit organization called Step Ahead, which is a fantastic NGO that was founded by two Richmond alumni.  To be honest I don’t know exactly why I chose Thailand; I went back and forth for months about whether to study abroad for two semesters or not, and then it just all fell in to place.  I have always heard so many incredible things about Thailand, and hoped to one day travel there.  When an internship in Bangkok as well as the opportunity to study business fell into my lap, I couldn’t say no, especially because I know that this is truly the opportunity of a lifetime.

I don’t think it has quite hit me that I am leaving to live on the other side of the world for the next five months.  But then again it didn’t really sink in that I had been in Kenya until a few days after I got back to the US.  I am incredibly excited though– I can’t wait to live a completely different lifestyle than I did in Kenya.  I am so excited to meet a dynamic group of people, to explore a completely new culture, and to see a new part of the world.  I am also intrigued to be involved in the development world in Bangkok through my internship; it will be fascinating to not only compare the different issues that exist in Bangkok versus Nairobi, but also to get a feel of how those issues are addressed differently in each city.  I am eager to start my life in Bangkok, but I also have a lot to do in the week that I have left at home.  As I learned from my trip to Kenya, it is best not to worry, not to consume myself with “what-ifs” and to just go with it.  That is the best and only way to travel!

Leave a Comment » | Samantha in Thailand, Spring 2012 | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by samanthainthailand

Next Entries »