Alyssa in New Zealand: A New Comfort Zone

July 19, 2013

There is a very broad definition for “home.” It can simply mean where you live. Or where your family resides. Where you’re from. In the end, one is usually very accustomed to the lifestyle, wherever that “home” may be.

It’s definitely not the easiest thing to develop a routine in a brand new environment. The surroundings are unfamiliar. People are unrecognizable. The buildings are foreign. You simply don’t know where to go or what to do just for the sake of not knowing. Living somewhere new takes time to get used to.

However, everything finally seems to be coming together. I’m starting to attain a better understanding of the Dunedin environment day by day. I can navigate myself around campus and town with ease. Time management has become simpler to handle. I’ve finally solidified and mastered my class schedule (no Fridays, which will make it much easier for traveling purposes). Faces are becoming more familiar. Friendships are continuing to grow and expand.

In addition to that, my flatmates and I have become closer and closer, for the dynamic of the flat has turned out to be fairly strong. There is a lot of support that is shared between all of us. We keep each other company, even if we are just sitting in the lounge in silence. The silence is anything but uncomfortable, for it is understood that we are all at ease around each other regardless if there are words exchanged or not. Likewise, we will cook and eat dinner together occasionally throughout the week, keeping the direct interactions between us alive. Even on the weekends, we spend much of our time together keeping each other entertained and happy. Our schedules do not coincide very well throughout the weekdays, for they’re all very different. Yet, when we come back and find each other in the end, not much distance has been generated between us.

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Me with my flatmates

Here in Dunedin, I have found that I am actually living. Instead of going to the on campus dining hall, I have to go to the grocery store, buy my own food and do my own cooking. Different responsibilities are shared between everyone in the flat in order to keep our living conditions in good shape. There are bills that have to be taken care of. I have to be aware about the amount of internet and power that I utilize. I even constructed a budget plan so that I can organize my money and keep my spending under control.

As difficult and strange this was to me at first, I have become very comfortable with this type of lifestyle. Being conscious of almost everything I do and plan to do has only helped me build character. It not only prepares me for the semester I return to Richmond (I’ll be living in an off campus apartment spring semester), but it prepares me for the real world as well (as scary as that is to think about). Independence has been taken to a new level.

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to explore even more of Dunedin. My entire flat complex and I ventured out to the Otago Peninsula, where beauty and landscapes were intensified. We specifically went to an area called Lover’s Leap. As we hiked through paths, valleys and plains, we were able to see spectacular views of the coast of Dunedin. Life had a different dynamic out there. Everything seemed carefree, yet full of adventure all at the same time.

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At the Otago Peninsula – I told you it was breathtaking!

I felt no fear when walking out to the edge of the cliffs. In fact, there was no feeling that was actually felt at that moment when standing on the edge of a 200 foot fall into the ocean. All I know is that I just wanted to stay there forever, or at least for as long as I could. It’s hard to even think about seeing the remainder of the country, for according to the Kiwis, there are other places and sights that are even more breathtaking than what I saw at that point.

After we were through seeing what was at the top, we decided to make our way to the bottom to the beach, Sandfly Bay. We made our descent from where we were parked after returning from the cliffs for about 20 minutes until we finally reached the ocean. As we explored the land, we ran into several seals sunbathing out on the rocks. We even encountered a sea lion at one point. The hike back up to the top was a little challenging due to the fact that we had to trek through excessive amounts of soft sand. It took about a total of 30-40 minutes for the group as a whole.

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My new sea lion friend at Sandfly Bay

Dunedin continues to surprise me more and more, especially when it comes to weather. It could be 55°F and sunny outside, and the next thing we know, the temperature can rapidly drop to 28°F with rain coming down hard within the next hour. Luckily, the weather was ideal when hiking through the peninsula. Despite its unpredictable nature, none of it stops me from enjoying my time here. The quick changing climate has only encouraged me to be prepared for the unexpected.

Now that I have finally settled in, I’ve been able to start planning for even more adventures. As of two days ago, I’m officially going to Australia for my mid-semester break with my flatmates.  I’m finally making progress on my bucket list, but there is still much more to cover.

I have encountered a lot of changes just in the past two weeks. Not only am I seeking out new adventures, but I’ve also created a new kind of life in here in New Zealand. It’s ironic to think that the more new experiences that I expose myself to, the more at home I feel.

So “home” is not simply where you live or where you’re from. “Home” is where you feel settled. Where you’re comfortable. Where you’re happy. As a matter of fact, I have found all these elements in my life recently. I haven’t necessarily forgotten or pushed aside my homes back in Massachusetts and Richmond. I’ve just happened to create another one somewhere else.

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Posted by gunvillealyssa

Rhiannon in India: Orientation Week

July 17, 2013

After 3 flights, a night in the Mumbai airport, and a harrowing cab ride (traffic here is crazy!), I arrived at my dorm in Hyderabad at 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning. I am staying at the International House on campus with 13 American students in my group and many more from around the world. The dining hall at the house prepares authentic Indian food for us, but thankfully holds back on the spiciness and gives us purified water that our sensitive stomachs can handle. I love the food and all of the unique spices here! A local restaurant owner came to talk to our group and explained that Indian food is unique because of its many spices that must be mixed in a specific order, much like chemistry. He told us that, historically, widows in India were often confined to communal homes (watch Deepa Mehta’s Water to see it in action), so they spent time experimenting with spices and came up with these scientific mixtures. According to the restaurant owner, an Indian meal usually includes between 5 and 50 different spices!

One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Hyderabad was that the weather is wonderful! May is the hottest month of the year in this part of India, so by now, it has cooled down to a temperate 84 degrees Fahrenheit. To make it better, the monsoon rains don’t hit Hyderabad nearly as badly as they do up north.

Orientation this week has been a whirlwind of lectures and excursions around the city. We have already discussed many interesting topics such as food, transportation, and living as a woman in India. After learning about transportation in Hyderabad, we split into small groups for a hands-on navigation exercise. Lead by our language peer tutors (Indian students who will be helping us with language practice this semester), we spent the afternoon taking auto rickshaws, buses, and direct autos all over the city to get used to navigating and bargaining. This just happened to be an afternoon when the monsoon was in full force here in Hyderabad, but splashing through puddles on the auto rickshaws made the day even more exciting! My friend Jennie and I, with our peer tutor Salomi, took two “sharing autos” to a restaurant for lunch, then a “direct auto” to the mall to shop for some Indian clothing. Both types of autos are open-air rickshaws, but sharing autos are cheaper because the drivers pack as many customers in as possible as they drive along a set route. Direct autos will take you exactly you want to go, but they are more expensive.

Auto Rickshaw

Here’s an auto rickshaw

Inside Auto Rickshaw

The view inside an auto rickshaw

One of our trips that stood out most this week was to the Old City, which is often considered “downtown” Hyderabad. Because Hyderabad was never fully colonized, there is no trace of urban planning as there is in other Indian cities. The bustling streets of the Old City seem too narrow for traffic, but somehow cars, bikes, motorcycles, and pedestrians seem to pile on top of one another between never-ending rows of shops. Local women say that the Old City is the best place to shop for anything shiny or sparkly, including saris and bangles.

Old City

The Old City of Hyderabad

While we were in the Old City, we visited its most prominent landmarks: Chowmahalla Palace, Charminar, and Mecca Masjid. Chowmahalla Palace is an estate with four palaces, which were home to the Nizam monarchy from the late 1800s until Indian independence in 1947. The palaces, now turned into museums, are magnificent and reminiscent of a time much earlier than when they were actually used. The high ceilings are covered in ornate carvings and chandeliers, and in one of the main rooms there is even a large thrown where a prince may have sat less than 70 years ago! As we walked through the gardens of the estate, we could hear the call to worship being played over loud speakers from the Mecca Masjid mosque near by.

Chowmahalla Palace

Me at Chowmahalla Palace

Chowmahalla Throne

Chowmahalla Throne

Mecca Masjid

Mecca Masjid

Although I am staying on campus now, I will be moving into a home stay next week! I will be living with my friend Jennie and an Indian mother and daughter in an apartment about 30 minutes from campus. I am anxious to meet the family because my program directors say they are very welcoming and exciting to live with. I was a little nervous about the commute at first, but now that I am getting used to using autos and busses, I’m not so worried. Hopefully Jennie and I will have similar schedules and will be able to ride to and from campus together most of the time.

Tomorrow I will go to my first class at an Indian university! I will be “shopping for classes” at first, so I’ll just go to a few different ones each day until I decide which ones I like and which professors I can understand. I am excited to start classes because it will give me an opportunity to meet Indian students and hopefully engage in some events or clubs on campus.

I can’t believe I have only spent one week in Hyderabad! I have seen and done so many things this week that it is difficult to put it all into words, but hopefully as the semester continues, it will all get easier to process. Despite what a great week I have had, my semester really has yet to begin!

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Posted by rhiannoninindia

Alyssa in New Zealand: End of Orientation, First Week of Classes

July 11, 2013

No one knows exactly what to expect when exploring. Expectations are usually set, but thoughts and predictions aren’t set in stone. Whether the expectations are exceeded or not met, something new is always discovered.

The countryside outside of Dunedin cannot be imagined. You must see it for yourself in order to understand what New Zealand has to offer. The further the Taieri Gorge train traveled from Dunedin, the more the country began to reveal its true character. Nature completely surrounded us approximately twenty minutes after leaving the Dunedin Railroad station. Throughout this five hour trip, the scenery was flawless.

One cliff melded into another, making it seem like one large panoramic view. The clusters of trees gave off a hue of a vibrant, forest green even though they were currently enduring the winter. Streams were following in and out between almost any nook and cranny that they could find, trying to replenish the dryness of the atmosphere. Regardless of the cold air and season, the sun continued to shine brightly throughout the entire excursion.

train trip

Along the route on my train trip

At the final stop, I finally saw the snowy mountains beyond all the hills and greenery, confirming that it was indeed the winter season. We were allowed to get off the train and walk around the area for fifteen minutes, but that almost didn’t even seem like enough to me. As we made our way back home, I did my best to keep mental pictures in my head in addition to the photos I took on my camera, for that was most likely the best way to remember every detail that I had just seen.

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The final stop of the train trip

The next day was Saturday, which oddly motivated my Kiwi host, Jenny, to get up early in the morning. However, this wasn’t out of the ordinary, especially for most Kiwis in the vicinity. The reasoning behind their surge of energy is because there is a farmers’ market that takes place near the Dunedin railroad train station every Saturday morning. Here, all kinds of stalls are set up in the area and the freshest kinds of foods from local areas are sold. My flat all pitched in to buy a solid bag of pure, organic apples. We all also got the chance to try our first bacon buttie, a sandwich that consists of bacon, tomato sauce, onions and mustard. Needless to say, it was delicious.

It is definitely a rewarding experience living in the Uni-Flats, for the Kiwi host provides all of the ins and outs. Lucky for me, Jenny knows almost everything there is to know in Dunedin and she has helped me out a great deal thus far. On Sunday, she took my neighbor, Malachi, from New York, and me for a walk around the Botanical Gardens. As we explored, I continued to be more amazed by what Dunedin has to offer. The gardens were quite expanded and full of much attraction. I never would have been able to appreciate it without Jenny’s help, for she showed us all the best views and the most beautiful parts.

at bot gards with jenny and malachi

At the Botanical Gardens with Jenny and Malachi

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View of Dunedin from the Botanical Gardens

Once Monday came around, everyone on campus had to come back to reality and start classes. I ended up dropping my music class and picking up a theatre class instead, for the music class was above my level. I was the only student in the class that had very little musical experience, while everyone else was quite talented at reading and playing music already. I attended my biology classes with ease, for I am used to learning about this kind of material.

Furthermore, the main difference with the classes here is that the class sizes are much bigger than they are at Richmond. I am so accustomed to having classes with 16 students and a professor knowing exactly who I am. Yet, when I went to all my lectures this week, the class sizes were at least 100 students and I am just another face in the crowd. Instead of talking and participating in the class, the professor is talking at the students and it is not as interactive. Even though I think this way of education is very out of the ordinary, I find it very interesting and I will never have the chance to learn this way again. This whole semester is about leaving the comfort zone.

Since this was the first week, most of the classes that were held consisted of just introductions and syllabi. Hence, there was more free time for all the students, which allowed me to make last minute adjustments to my schedule and to finally ease into my home. As easy as the first week was, I am expecting to receive more work in the upcoming weeks. I am preparing myself to not get too caught up in all my free time. Nevertheless, I am not worried about finding a balance between schoolwork and exploring the country.

I feel like I’ve been here for a month already and yet, it’s only been a week. Each day beholds something new. No matter how simple or complicated it may be, I find myself discovering more and more. You really can’t understand another world until you experience it yourself. As I am experiencing this new way of life, I am not only beginning to understand but also appreciate what’s in front of me.

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Posted by gunvillealyssa

Back Home: End to a Great Adventure and a Million Memories (posted by Indira in South Korea)

July 8, 2013

I honestly can’t believe I’m back home. When the plane touched down in Frankfurt and I was finally in Europe, I felt weird. It is then that it hit me that my South Korean adventure was over. Last four months have been absolutely amazing and I’ve enjoyed every single bit of it: Trips, friendships, food, classes, culture, history, tradition, but also sleepless nights I spent with the people that have made my last semester as great as it possibly gets.

The morning I left Korea I said goodbye to the people I shared so much with over the past four months; people I got to know so well in such a short period; people I hope to stay in touch despite the fact I won’t be seeing them on a daily basis any longer. Choosing South Korea as my study abroad location for the spring semester was a great decision, no doubt about that. In fall 2012 I studied abroad in Sweden and I already had what I thought to be the best semester yet. When I decided to go to Korea in spring instead of staying in Sweden for a year many were surprised especially since they knew how much I came to love Sweden and my experience there.  To be honest, I was very anxious to see how my semester in Asia would turn out to be. I choose a country I knew almost nothing about and didn’t speak the language, but also a country that was so different compared to my previous experiences. The beginning was rough: Getting used to the new culture where modernity and tradition meet, making new friends, getting used to the new system of classes and teaching style – it was all a challenge. I was, however, more than happy to embrace that challenge and make the best out of it.

It was the embracing the unknown and enjoying the adventure that made my semester in Korea so amazing. Oftentimes I’m asked whether I liked Sweden more than Korea. To be honest, I like them both equally! The two semesters I had were so much different in so many ways and yet they were both so amazing. Each was the best in its own way. I find it amazing how much I’ve grown over the past year I spent abroad and how this year came to shape my personality in a slightly different way than before. I am more self aware of the world, more patient, more flexible and easy to adapt, but I’m also richer for so many new experiences and amazing memories.

My semester in Korea will always be one of the most amazing experiences in my life. I got to live in a big city of 10.6 million people, try all these different dishes, experience Korean and Asian culture firsthand, and travel. I also find it fascinating how little I knew about Korea before going there and how much I know now: All my classes were focused on Korea and I learned a lot about this country socially, historically, demographically, economically, as well as about the relations between Korea and other countries. The best thing was learning about the country and then seeing it all unfold in front of  my eyes: I would learn something about Korean history and a short subway ride would take me to a museum that would add colors to the pictures in my head. I really enjoyed that kind of learning.

Discovering Korea was also amazing: I got to travel all around Seoul, Incheon, Muuido Island, Busan, Jeju Island. All of these places gave me a different perception of Korea that together formed a perfect image about the country I had such a hard time leaving.

A week-long trip to Cambodia was undoubtedly one of the most amazing things I ever have – and possibly ever will – experience. This country in the southeastern Asia with high temperatures and humid air was something I’ve never seen before: Riding elephants, admiring centuries old temples, riding tuk-tuks, and exploring the part of the world I never even thought of visiting. Visit to Cambodia is definitely one of the highlights of my year abroad. Actually, this entire year has been one big highlight and I am so happy I took the chance to spend it abroad.

Possibly the most important part of the semester in Korea are the people I met: My core group of friends, my classmates, my roommate, my Korean friends, my mentor, my language exchange partner, all of them are a reason behind everything great that happened in Korea. Now I know I have friends all over the world, friends I can rely on even if I’ve known them for merely four months. That is the beauty of the study abroad – people bond and create friendships really fast. But that is also the saddest part of it all: Leaving is so much harder when you know that you might never again see some of the amazing people you met. It is all, nonetheless, an important aspect of study abroad.

I can only wholeheartedly recommend Yonsei University and South Korea to any student interested in study abroad. Regardless of your major (Yonsei is a big university and it offers classes in English in a wide range of subjects), weather preference (it can be both hot and cold in Seoul), or size of the city (Seoul is a big city, but you can always find that little street or the part of the city that will just about fit your preferences) Korea won’t disappoint. I promise. I was very skeptical in the beginning and now I can’t wait to visit Korea again. So many great things await students and visitors in this city: Technology is everywhere, cafes too, the food is amazing, it is easy to travel around (just make sure you get a T-Money card and the subway is all yours to explore and use), people are so warm and hospitable, culture and tradition is breathtaking.

I will miss you Korea. Actually, I already do.

Seoul

Farewell Seoul – Thanks for a great semester!

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Posted by indirainsouthkorea

Alyssa in New Zealand: Three days before departure

July 2, 2013

When it comes to traveling across the globe, you really can’t afford to forget to bring anything. I run through a mental checklist at least five times each day. Yet, I still have this gut feeling that I’m inevitably going to leave something behind (which is usually the case).

Everything that I plan on bringing with me is currently laid out on my bedroom floor. Or at least…I think it’s everything.

I’ve traveled many times before. Packing is practically a second nature to me.  However, I’ve had to take on a slightly new approach to packing when it comes to preparing to live across the world for the next five months, which is something I have definitely never done before. I find myself taking out extra clothes that I don’t necessarily need and consolidating all my essentials in unusual ways. In some way, it’s been stressful. Not stressful to do, but stressful to think about. How am I supposed to fit five months worth of living into three pieces of luggage? How is that a reasonable thing to pull off?

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Working on getting five months into just three suitcases

I have always enjoyed traveling far away from home. Leaving Boston has never been hard, for I know what it’s like to be away from home. I’ve ventured out to Spain, France, Italy, Vietnam and Ireland. Homesickness is not a feeling that I come across often.  As my departure gets closer, I don’t think leaving home is going to be difficult for me this Sunday either, which is when I leave for New Zealand. So no, I was not exaggerating when I said that I would be traveling across the globe. I’ve traveled far, but I’ve never traveled this far before. Soon enough, I will be arriving in Dunedin and ready to study for a semester at the University of Otago.

Being primarily a biology major on the pre-P.A. track (and a journalism major as well), my choices were limited when I was choosing where to study abroad. I was almost afraid that I wouldn’t be able to find a program suitable enough to help me fulfill my major requirements. However, when I came across an institution that offered appropriate science classes for me to take in New Zealand, everything seemed to fall into place.

While abroad, I plan on taking courses that include evolution, microbiology and music (for my Visual Arts requirement at Richmond). Now that I will be able to take biology courses and not fall behind in the major going into my junior year, there are other priorities that I have in mind as well…

My bucket list for New Zealand continues to grow longer and longer. I keep finding more and more things to add to it. Much of it consists of a lot of traveling, exploring and adventure. Glow worms, hiking, glaciers, volcanoes and the Adventure Capital of the World lie ahead in my future. I can only hope that I have enough time to do it all. Luckily, I will be living with a Kiwi host (a New Zealand student studying at University of Otago) throughout my stay, so she will be able to give me extra tips and pointers (my other three roommates are from Australia, Norway and Hungary). Keep in mind that my bucket list is not restricted to New Zealand, for I plan on making my way to Australia and Fiji as well.

After six weeks of working hard and preparation at home, it would be an understatement to say that I am eager and anxious to leave. I almost find it hard to believe that this is actually happening. This entire experience already seems so surreal and yet, this is only the beginning.

On Sunday, I will fly from Boston to my first destination, San Francisco. From there, I will fly for thirteen hours and eventually land in the north island of New Zealand in Auckland for my second layover. Finally, I will fly to the south island to Dunedin, where I will arrive at on July 2. Maybe then the fear and nervousness will hit me…but I highly doubt that.

As I prepare to depart the U.S., I am promising myself to take advantage of my time on the other side of the world. This is my chance to see everything that takes my breath away. Explore the wonders of the country.

If something is left behind in Boston, I’ll find a way to get by.  Forgetting something should be the least of my concerns. In fact, the only thing I should be focused on is making it over there so that I can finally begin my adventure.

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Posted by gunvillealyssa

푸른: Akaraka Festival at Yonsei University (posted by Indira in South Korea)

May 27, 2013

In some of my previous posts I have already written about the unbelievable school spirit that is so well present on the Yonsei campus, but over the past week I actually experienced it first-hand. There are two big events at Yonsei every year that attract many students and that are given a lot of attention: Sports games against Korea University in the Fall and Akaraka Festival in the Spring. I am very lucky to be in Seoul during the Spring since that gave a possibility to take part in the Akaraka Festival.

So what is this Akaraka thing? Just the best thing ever! No, seriously. I have never before experienced anything like it: It is a festival, a huge party, something like a carnival, big concert, and so much more. I think one could somewhat compare it to Pig Roast, but it is so much more. This year May 14-16 Yonsei turned blue. Literally. Everywhere you would look there were people in blue, which is Yonsei’s color. It was so hard to locate anyone as all the students were wearing blue shirts as a way of showing the school pride and belonging to the best University in Korea (yea, I might be a bit biased but I do think Yonsei is amazing).

Students at Akaraka

Yonsei students proudly wearing the school color (blue) at Akaraka

The first two days of the festival there were so many street vendors selling delicious Korean street food (such as Korean pancakes, fish cakes etc.), concerts all across the campus, games, and open air parties. There was even a huge trampoline-bungee jumping that many students took their turn on. The first night of the Festival Mentors Club (similar to the Ambassador Club at the UR) organized an amazing “Gentlementors” (reference to Psy’s “Gentleman” song) party in front of the main auditorium. There were so many students dancing and having fun. Definitely one of the best nights I had in Korea so far. Before the party we also had a Zombie Run. This was the event organized by the student council and both Korean and foreign students participated. The basic ideas was to walk/run down the path while escaping zombies. There were five zones along the path each with their own topics and rules. Thriller zone, for instance, was probably one of the most interesting. Runners were only able to move when the Korean song “Thriller” was played, if they moved when song is not played zombies would take their life (each participant had 3 lives). Zombies were amazing! Yonsei hired professional make up artist who made a lot of people including some of my friends look like real zombies. A huge number of students participated in this event and the reward for the last man standing was 300.000 won (about 300 dollars). The Zombie Run was truly very fun and I enjoyed it a lot!

Zombie Run

Preparing for the Zombie Run

Second day of the festival was all about the concerts and food! I really enjoyed walking down the main road and trying different Korean street foods (it is very delicious and extremely inexpensive, definitely a must try while in Korea!). It was fun seeing the Korean bands and performers in concert too: So many Korean students were super excited while I knew none of the performers and understood none of the lyrics. It was very entertaining nonetheless.

After a two day warm up, Thursday finally came. Most of the students had their classes cancelled (all 3 of my Thursday classes were cancelled!) and starting from about 2pm celebrations started. Many students went to the outdoor amphitheater around 1pm already in order to see K-Pop starts who performed before the real Akaraka started. We were advised by the Korean students to come to the amphitheater some time between and 5pm. Akaraka was mind-blowing! So much energy, dancing, cheering, many performances and artists! I’ve never seen anything like it. We were on our feet dancing from 4 until 10pm. And it was amazing! Many famous Korean bands performed such as Girls’ Generation. The entire amphitheater was going crazy. Everywhere you would look you would see a sea of blue. It really shows how important the school spirit is for the Yonsei students. Being part of Akaraka and one of the thousands of students who were present there made me feel like a part of the Yonsei community. I realized how much I love this place and how Seoul feels like a home. I don’t think I will ever be able to put into words what happened on Akaraka Thursday; it is simply something one has to experience in order to understand it.

Girls' Generation

Girls’ Generation performs at Akaraka

I have to admit that the three days of the Akaraka Festival were the highlight of my stay at Yonsei so far. I loved every bit of it and I sure would love to relive it. Yonsei is such a special place that grows on its student and becomes a true home. Too bad I will have to leave this places I learned to love so dearly in only 4 weeks… But I’ll think about leaving later. Now I have to enjoy the time I have left!

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Posted by indirainsouthkorea

지평선: N Seoul Tower, Richmond Reunion, and Our Husky Friend (posted by Indira in South Korea)

April 24, 2013

Seoul is a big city and it is always interesting to go and explore different areas as each part of the city is very unique: Sinchon (where Yonsei University is located) is very busy and there are many young people, Ewha is full of cute little stores and shops as this is where Ewha Women’s University is located, Insa-dong is a touristy place, while Itaewon is very Western-like as most of the Westerners who work in Seoul live here, and Gangnam is very modern with skyscrapers everywhere. This city has so much soul and spirit that it is rather hard to comprehend it all. There is, however, one place where you can take a good look at the entire city of nine million people and enjoy the view of a place where modernism and tradition coexist – N Seoul Tower.

Last week a group of my friends and I decided to go to N Seoul Tower and see Seoul in its full beauty. It was really good that we had nice weather as the sunset was beautiful and the skyline was breathtaking. Getting to N Seoul Tower gave us a view of different parts of the city  as we had to go to the subway stop in Sinchon, walk through Myeondong, take a cable cart and finally hike up to the Tower. The best part of it all was seeing how different Seoul is and then getting a good view of the entire city, which makes you wonder how is it possible that so many diverse areas are so united and make this city what it is. The view is rather breathtaking – you can walk around in the 360° observatory platform and see the city from all the sides. We managed to see the sunset from the outside before we took an interesting elevator ride (they show you a short video clip that basically takes you from the Tower to outer space when going up, and when going down it takes you from the outer space to the Tower in Seoul in a mere 30 seconds) to the top of the Tower. This is definitely one of the top touristy activities I’d recommend to anyone (even though it took me over a month to do it). I’ll definitely go back to N Seoul Tower in late spring!

Sunset over Seoul from the N Seoul Tower

Sunset over Seoul

View on the City of Seoul from the N Seoul Tower one of the biggest tourist destinations in Seoul

View on the City of Seoul from the N Seoul Tower

Being so far away from Richmond doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find Richmond affiliated people in this part of the world. Since Ms. Leslie Stevenson from the CDC was on a conference in Seoul, she invited all the Richmond graduates and students currently in Seoul, as well as Yonsei students who either were, or are going, on an exchange to UR for a dinner in Gangnam (unfortunately no one thought of getting a group picture as we were all too excited for the reunion). It was really great having dinner in a Richmond spirit, as well as getting to know so many new people. I also enjoyed talking to three Yonsei girls who will be studying abroad at Richmond in Fall 2013. I tried to give them some advice and they seemed super excited to start their semester at UofR. Seeing Ms. Stevenson was also great! She accompanied my Leadership and the Common Good SSIR group trip to Spain in January last year and seeing her in Korea this year was just wonderful. It truly shows how global Spiders are!

Seoul is a diverse, modern, and global city full of surprises – you never know who you might meet/see. One of my favorite things in Sinchon is seeing a Husky dog that is usually chilling outside one of the numerous Korean restaurants in the area (supposedly since his owner works there or something of a kind). This big fluffy ball of fur is just about the most amazing dog ever. He is so friendly and playful and it is always great running into him when walking around Sinchon.

Husky dog we always see when walking around Sinchon. He is the dog of a local restaurant owner

Husky dog we always see when walking around Sinchon

I have also noticed that as midterms are approaching (last week of April) I have more school work to do. The beautiful spring weather, blossom, and temperature of about 67 degrees is unfortunately hard to ignore. However, it is very much possible to stay on top of the schoolwork and also enjoy the life in Seoul. All it requires is a bit of sacrifice and hard work, but it is completely worth it.

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Preparations for the 3rd Term (posted by Jimmy in England)

April 19, 2013

I last left you at the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Brooklyn, following a devastating Spider loss to Charlotte in the opening round of the postseason. After the game, I headed home for two weeks to relax and decompress after an eight week term and a week of basketball. Prior to attending Oxford for my first term, I thought that eight weeks were simply too short and that the six-week breaks between trimesters was way too long. After having been through two terms and two breaks, the system that they have is perfect. During the terms, students do not sleep much. In response to this I spent the first two weeks at home recovering with 10 and 11 hours of sleep per night. I also was able to celebrate Easter with my family for the first time in my college career. I missed Thanksgiving, but celebrated Easter, so it all works out, right? After this two-week stay at home, and feeling rejuvenated to take on the world again, I headed back down to my second home. I came back to the University of Richmond for a few reasons.  Reason 1- I love this place. Reason 2- Chance to Play, the organization that my best friends and I started this summer, was competing in the annual UR Business Pitch Competition. Reason 3- Basketball workouts. Reason 4 (Tie)- Pigroast, my 21st birthday and the Kappa Kappa Gatsby social! It doesn’t get better than that!

View from atop the Greek Theatre at the University of Richmond

View from atop the Greek Theatre

Perfect scenery from the bridge on Westhampton Lake at the University of Richmond

Perfect scenery from the bridge on Westhampton Lake

After spending 17 days in Richmond, I am ready to go back to England for my 3rd and final term of this year. So, as I look forward into these last eight weeks, what’s the play?

I like to group my plans into three areas- academic, cultural, and social. Let’s start with the academic side of things. I will continue my research in the Davies group working with some brilliant organic chemists from around the world. I want to make progress on my project and continue to learn as much organic chemistry as I can. On the tutorial side of things, I will be taking a major course of Advanced Organic Synthesis and a minor course of Modern British Drama/Performance. I couldn’t be happier with my courses this term. I get to study organic chemistry and act! I am transferring the Modern British Drama/Performance class as my Visual and Performing Arts general education requirement. I received an email this morning from my tutor outlining my first assignment. I have to read the play ‘Arcadia’ by Tom Stoppard, write a 2500 word essay on the idea of ‘Misinterpretation’ and be ready to recite specific lines from the play. It’s going to be a great term!

On the cultural side of things, I have two goals. I have spent 16 weeks in England already and believe that I am getting accustomed to their way of life. I want to better my understanding of their culture and immerse myself further. I also want to test the waters in a new culture. I have not travelled much outside of England, so this term I plan on visiting France and experiencing a glimpse of their culture. I know that a few days in a country like France cannot do it justice, but it will have to do.

And lastly, on the social side of things, I want to have a great time with the friends that I have made in England. People have said that the abroad experience is the best of their college career. So far, it has been for me. In these last weeks, it is time to live it up, enjoy the ride, and learn what I can. Tomorrow I fly from Richmond to Dulles and then Dulles to Heathrow.  It is weird to think that less than seven months ago, I was scared and nervous going into unknown territory across the Atlantic.  This third time, I feel ready to go.  Let’s do this!

“The fulfilled life is a consequence, a gratifying byproduct. It’s what happens when you’re thinking about more important things. Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. Go to Paris to be in Paris, not to cross it off your list and congratulate yourself for being worldly. Exercise free will and creative, independent thought not for the satisfactions they will bring you, but for the good they will do others, the rest of the 6.8 billion–and those who will follow them. And then you too will discover the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special. Because everyone is.” – David McCullough, Jr

1 Comment | Jimmy in England, Spring 2013 | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
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행복: Akaraka and Cheering Competition (posted by Indira in South Korea)

April 15, 2013

I always thought that U.S. universities put a high emphasis on school spirit with their mascots, cheerleaders, teams, etc. but I’ve never seen anything even close to the spirit Yonsei has. It is UNBELIEVABLE!

Everyone wears their fancy Yonsei jackets through the whole city with much pride and they display their love for the school they go to (students of other universities in Seoul do the same). The most impressive display of school spirit and pride, however, has to be the Akaraka and Cheering Competition. I have never seen students so involved and so happy to be part of a certain university.

In some of my earlier posts I wrote about how Yonsei and Korea University are two main rivals and they have all these amazing cheering songs where they talk about which school is better and how they are going to beat the other school. As part of our international student orientation we had an hour long cheering orientation during which we learned (or tried to learn) all the cheers and dances. It is really hard as the vast majority of the songs are in Korean so it’s very hard to follow. Dance, on the other hand, is much easier to follow as you just do what everyone else is doing.

Recently there was an event hosted in Yonsei University’s outdoor amphitheater – a cheering competition. Unfortunately, most of the exchange students had their Korean language course at this time or hadn’t heard about it at all, so it was only five of us who joined hundreds of Yonsei and Korea University students for an evening of cheering, singing, dancing, and fun. We got to the amphitheater pretty late and there were so many people: half of the amphitheater was all blue, and the other half started turning red. In less than a half an hour after we got there the amphitheater was completely full! It was very easy to spot the Yonsei students wearing blue and Korea University students wearing red. There would be one Korea song and the red half of the amphitheater would sing and dance and then the Yonsei students would get a chance to do the same. It was also fun when the Korea and Yonsei prince dressed in fun traditional looking costumes in the colors of their University talked about all the good things about their University thereby showing how bad the rival University is. All of this is of course just fun and helps students bond; both within the respective universities, but also between the two universities. I had so much fun participating in this event as it is a warm-up for the real cheering competition that will happen in May – Akaraka. I am so looking forward to that! 🙂

Full amphitheater for the Cheering Competition between Yonsei and a rival university

Full amphitheater for the Cheering Competition

Yonsei students dancing to one of the cheering songs at a cheering competition

Yonsei students dancing to one of the cheering songs

Even though the school spirit is on such a high level, the University sports are not that good on this level. Two of my friends and I went to a home basketball game between Yonsei and another Korean university and I was rather surprised to see how few supporters there were and the program was not on the level I would have expected. There were no cheerleaders at all! It was interesting to have this event and cheering competition and to compare them in my mind. We, however, enjoyed a good basketball game!

Yonsei basketball game which I attended with a friend

Yonsei basketball game

Now, I’ll leave Yonsei for a while to go and visit an island located about 1.5 hours from Seoul and I am really looking forward to exploring Korea!

2 Comments | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

Yup, this is all real!! (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

March 29, 2013

Monday in my Swiss Politics seminar, I gave a presentation with a group for the first time since I have been here in Switzerland. Our presentation was only fifteen minutes, and was on the topic of a law that we had been studying for the past couple of weeks, and honestly it was one of the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t call this just any presentation, however I would instead refer to it as the presentation of realizations: realizations not solely focused on the topic of our work, but realizations really for me that this is not some fantasy land here, but it is real life. Real studying, real learning, real people seeking their degrees, real people working. Real people are living here doing normal every day things in Switzerland, just like what happens at home in the US.

Sometimes life here can honestly feel like I’m in a dream world that doesn’t really exist. Among some of my other exchange student friends, we often joke that Switzerland is just too perfect of a place. In fact, when I had first arrived here, I saw the water in a river by the university and it was so blue that I actually questioned whether it was highly polluted. The reality is that it is a great deal cleaner than what I’m used to seeing. The scenery is as picturesque as one could ever imagine. On a clear day, when walking pretty much anywhere in the city, just one look to the south and the view of the lake and magnificent snow-covered mountains just takes your breath away. The buildings in the city are real too. As an American, I’m used to really only seeing this style of architecture be replicated in places like an amusement park, or maybe more authentically in a major city. However, the medieval European style is everywhere here, as it is something we just try to copy in the US. Even the money here, being different and far more colorful than what I’m used to can sometimes feel fake, and just as if it’s out of a game like monopoly (this is not to say that I’m spending as if I’m in a game- Switzerland is too expensive to do so, and I’m not trying to run out of money to buy food). And what’s more is that again, people aren’t speaking the language that I am used to hearing. However, it is a language that I truly love and still feel in disbelief that I’m actually able to use it as a means of communication, not just something to study and enjoy hearing in a song or reading in a book, for example. So as foolish as it can really sound, the life here can honestly feel like I’m still asleep and just living in a European fantasy.

However, I think today when I presented in front of an audience of Francophones, it really hit me that no, this is real. I don’t know why it was speaking in front of a class that made me finally realize this. I’ve given countless presentations in my time as a student, however they’ve always been in English, or maybe French to an audience of other Anglophones learning French just like me. So when I was speaking today and opened with, “Sorry if my French hurts your ears” and was luckily greeted with some laughter and some compliments afterwards, it hit me that this time it was real. These people grow up thinking in this language, not in English. It is French that is the little voice in their head that shapes their thoughts and perceptions, not English like mine. It is French that shapes their personalities, and the way that they express themselves, not English like me. Just the thought of how something that we take so for granted each day, our simple means of expressing ourselves orally or written for so many different purposes, has such a profound impact on who we are.  Again, language is something that truly fascinates me. The fact that I’m not yet at a level of French where I feel like it is true French, not just a set of words formulated into a structure very much like that of my own language, that I speak on a day to day basis, really struck me today when I was speaking in front of this class and realized that this was finally me using what I’ve learned to speak and present information to people whose minds speak to them differently. I hope this makes sense; it really has to do with thinking of how you speak to yourself in your head that amazes me, and to think that there are countless ways to do that is an idea that really came to light today.

SO I guess maybe after finally realizing that this is all real might mean that I’m officially habituated or adapted to the life here in Switzerland? I’d say no. Again, every day brings new experiences, but in a way that makes me excited to get up every day and go out exploring. It’s constantly learning time here, with the world around me as my classroom, library, or any other place you could think of as a place of learning. It is incredible, and again, I am so truly lucky to be here.

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