March 2013 – Page 5 – GW Blogs from Abroad

What’s it All About, Abasto?

AdminMarch 4, 2013December 14, 2018

A few weeks ago, it rained pretty heavily. Buenos Aires is hot and humid during the summer, but there is something about a rainy day that makes this exchange student a little bored. So how did I cheer myself up? I went to the mall. Yes, the mall.Did I buy anything? No, but it was pretty good to get a better understanding of one of Buenos Aires' neighborhoods instead of looking at grey skies from my ninth floor apartment!

Abasto is a section of the Balvanera neighborhood. One of the central attractions in this part of town is the Abasto de Buenos Aires, a former wholesale fruit and produce market that operated for almost a century from 1890s to the 1980s, only to become a huge mall (called a shopping en castellano porteño) in the 1990s. The mall is home to many stores and a children's museum, yet what makes Abasto a unique landmark in Buenos Aires is its exterior and interior design. Abasto uses an Art Deco style that is not as common as the more ubiquitous French and Italian styles in many neighborhoods. ...continue reading "What’s it All About, Abasto?"

Anthem

AdminMarch 4, 2013

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands: one nation, under God, indivisible, with freedom and justice for all.

These words, the pledge of allegiance which is engrained into every kindergartener's brani, have been the source of immense controversy in schools and courts in the United States. Who's God exactly are we talking about? Does this indoctrinate a certain kind of idea too much and too early?

In one of my classes, Israel: Conflicts and Common Ground, we've started exploring current issues in Israeli society that are hot-spots for arguments. We started with HaTikva, The Hope, the national anthem of the state of Israel. Here is the translation of the lyrics: ...continue reading "Anthem"

Sshrishti

AdminMarch 4, 2013

As many of you might be relieved to know, my work at Sshrishti has changed drastically since that first day in the slums. From now on, after discussing all of my volunteering options with my supervisor, I have decided to divide my time between teaching at the Sshrishti Learning Center and working in the main office. My experiences in the classroom have really run the gamut - from successfully introducing the present continuous tense to a well-behaved group of students to being handed a dictionary on the teacher's way out and instructed to "teach dictionary." One of my favorite moments came when, after teaching me a hand clapping game, one of the girls looked quizzically at me and said, "dost"? Fortunately, I'd learned that word in Hindi class the previous day and knew that it meant friend. "Friend," I nodded, as she then grinned and held out her hand for me to shake. The children at Sshrishti are wonderful, and I'm constantly reminded of how incredibly rewarding teaching can be. On the other hand, I've also become familiar with many of the limitations and challenges of the Indian school system that I've learned about in my socioeconomic development class. It can be especially difficult to overcome the incredibly large class sizes, sometimes 40 or more students, and the resultant wide range of abilities existing within a single class. ...continue reading "Sshrishti"

Orientation Week at UCA

AdminMarch 3, 2013December 14, 2018

By jtmanley

The Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA) held an orientation for its international students this week. There are around 175 international students studying at UCA during the first semester which runs from March to July. In the GW Argentina program, there are five students studying at UCA. After a week's worth of presentations, which came after our own GW orientation during our first week here, I am pretty sure about what I want to do here academically. ...continue reading "Orientation Week at UCA"

Paris: It’s too real and too beautiful to ever let you forget anything

AdminMarch 3, 2013December 14, 2018

By unprofoundobservations

Every Sunday evening I respond to emails, troll for new music on Spotify, and put together my weekly blog post, all of which is never accomplished before midnight. After weeks of this routine, I have actually come to realize that this habitual update on my life and musings is the most regular part of my week. The French university system enjoys changing classes and taking breaks so frequently that I still arrive early to classes to ensure that the rooms have not been changed last minute. As the elementary schools go on strangely spaced holidays - all of the French are off for the next two weeks on what it simply referred to as "ski holiday" - my tutoring sessions are also irregular. My program keeps us on our toes with day-trips or nighttime spectacles that vary each week, and finally I have yet to identify a predictable schedule for all members of my host family. I adore the varied routine and when you only have about 140 days in a country it seems like a shame to live the same one twice. These posts let me reflect a bit on what I've done and let me share some observations of French culture, but mostly they keep me grounded and serve as a reminder that I have limited time here that I should make the most of. ...continue reading "Paris: It’s too real and too beautiful to ever let you forget anything"

The Easy Life

AdminMarch 3, 2013December 14, 2018

By crstein1

I’m really looking forward to the spring in Madrid. The weather hasn’t been the best lately, as the last few weeks have been freezing and it even snowed on several occasions (which is very rare in Madrid). Often, my mood reflects the weather- when it’s raining I feel somewhat blue, and when it’s freezing and snowy I have no energy to leave my bed. However, I’ve felt surprisingly happy here despite the less than stellar weather. Madrid is an absolutely amazing city, and dare I say it, perhaps more incredible than my beloved home in New York. I’ve been trying to figure out why this city is so exhilarating, and why everyday life here seems so fantastic. To a certain extent, I think that a lot of my happiness results from my lack of responsibilities here. My only obligation is my classes, which don’t require the endless amount of homework and studying that is typical of classes at home. Here in Madrid, my host mom cooks, cleans and does my laundry. I’m able to spend my free time exploring the city, going to the theater, visiting museums, or hanging out with friends. I wonder, if I had this luxury at school in DC, would I be equally as happy? ...continue reading "The Easy Life"

Farewell Pope Benedict

AdminMarch 3, 2013December 14, 2018

By aubreygunnels

As most the world knows, the Pope Benedict XVI has retired as the current pope, a retirement that has not happen in 700 years. I first heard about this breaking news story when running on the treadmill at the local gym; CNN international is one of the only channels in English.

I found this news story particularly interesting. Not only because I was raised Catholic, but I think more so because I am in Europe and much closer to action. The catholic church is one of the largest body of people in the world consisting of over 1.1 billion people. In recent history, no ruler of such a mass of people has voluntarily stepped down. I think this is significant for many reasons such as what does this mean for the church, does this change perception of the catholic church and how did the world react?

Apparently, I was the only one curious. The reaction in Europe is completely different than I thought it would be. I was expecting people to be moved by just a ground breaking action. After all, humans are a creature of habit. We like rules and laws to keep law and order in society and nothing could reek havoc more than breaking a tradition that is more than 700 years old. ...continue reading "Farewell Pope Benedict"