February 2017 – Page 3 – GW Blogs from Abroad

Public Transportation: An Adventure in Itself

AdminFebruary 22, 2017December 14, 2018

This past week, I have spent a good amount of time on public transport. St. Petersburg is an extremely accessible city, and there is a bus or train that goes just about everywhere. While the set-up is similar to that of DC, there are some major differences as well. The following are 8 facts/observations I have made about St. Petersburg public transportation the last few weeks.

The escalators (or lifts as they say) are incredibly long. The ride up/down takes multiple minutes, which gives you enough time to really think about how far underground you are going. Spooky.
People don’t walk up or down the escalators like most do in DC. You pick a stair, you stay on that stair, and you ride the incredibly long escalator all the way down. It’s nice, though, because people are not in such a hurry. There isn’t the same frenziness that one can often feel on the DC metro. Although a lively and crowded city, the overall pace of St. Petersburg is no where near as hurried as DC or New York.
The escalators (last one about them, I promise) are a prime spot for PDA. I have no idea why because they are all well-lit, and at first I thought it was just one-time thing. But no, it is a consistent thing that many Russian couples participate in. Valentine's Day was very interesting.
The Metro face. Russians tend to smile less and look more serious in general, but it gets brought to a whole new level on the metro. I’ve never seen so many faces stay so straight for so long. It’s impressive-no noise or sudden halt fazes them.
The public transportation is very on time and very efficient. Trains come about every 3 minutes, and buses are just as punctual. After the disaster that was the DC metro this past summer, this aspect is very much appreciated.
The metro stations themselves are beautiful. The architecture makes each station look like some sort of art museum. There’s paintings and ornamentation on the walls, marble pillars, and even some chandeliers.
Each ride on the metro and the bus is a flat 40 rubles, at any time to get you anywhere. No rush hour pricing. It’s lovely.
There is no limit of how many bodies can be squeezed into a metro car. There is also no concept of personal space. I’m used to crowded train cars, but that definitively has taken some getting used to.

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Eating my way through Prague

AdminFebruary 22, 2017December 14, 2018

By hjensen95

I haven’t ventured into Czech cuisine as much as I thought I would. I have a few dietary restrictions, namely remaining pescatarian and straying away from dairy as much as I can. A large part of the Czech diet consists of heavy foods such as meat, potatoes, bread, pastries, and cakes. I’m used to eating healthy foods back home with the occasional indulgence. Thankfully, Prague is a very international city and I can find pretty much everything I need or want here. I’ve taken a liking to a local salad chain called Ugo (which is sort of like a Sweetgreen).

One thing here that differs from my eating patterns in the state, is the emphasis on lunches. Lunch is the biggest meal and most people eat it at restaurants because it’s typically very reasonably priced. So, I’ve been trying to follow that dining cue. I’ve been aiming to eat breakfast and dinner at home while enjoying my lunch out.

In a classic Czech Restaurant, you will find items such as Svíčková na smetaně (beef sirloin in cream sauce) and Vepřo-knedlo-zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut) on the lunch menu. Another popular dish is Goulash, which is a stew made out of meat and vegetables, however originally from Hungary – many consider this dish to be a classic Czech meal.

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Still jet-lagged, but pulling through.

AdminFebruary 22, 2017

Well, I finally made it to Saigon (technically Ho Chi Minh City). The sojourn here was quite the experience considering a 16 hour plane ride was something that I never thought I could accomplish, but I pulled through. To say that nothing in my life could’ve aptly prepared me for what I’d see in Saigon is an undeniably true statement. I thought the streets of Manhattan were a lot to handle, then I sat in a Vietnamese taxi for 20 minutes and was humbled very quickly.

As my first blog post, I will share the 5 things that took me most by surprise in my first 24 hours in Saigon.

...continue reading "Still jet-lagged, but pulling through."

A City of Surprises

AdminFebruary 14, 2017December 14, 2018

By bmlee18

Ely. This small English city not too far from Cambridge probably doesn't strike you as familiar. I know that for me, I was so unfamiliar with Ely that I (and some of the other visiting students whom I went on the trip with) had trouble deciding how to even pronounce its name, only being sure of myself when I finally found myself within the city grounds. I wasn't really sure of what to expect from this city that I had never heard of before, but perhaps this lack of expectations and knowledge was precisely what allowed me to be so astounded by the beauty of the place.

Now, I know that there are some unbelievably amazing architecture throughout the UK. Cambridge, my host city, alone features some of the most remarkable structures dating back to hundreds of years before America's founding. King's College Chapel, built in the 1400s, stands as one of the finest examples of Gothic English architecture, and I have the great privilege of walking past (and gaping at) the beautiful church everyday. As much as I was fascinated by King's College Chapel and other buildings throughout England, my visit to Ely Cathedral left me utterly speechless - especially after a tour of the Cathedral's Octagon Tower.

I am by no means an expert on architecture, although I did have a brief phase as a fourth grader when I was an avid viewer of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and wanted to be a cool carpenter building homes for others like the show's personalities. However, I know when to be marvelled at a great feat of architectural design and engineering - and Ely Cathedral was precisely this.

First of all, to see such a massive cathedral at the centre of a small town astounded me. The Cathedral was really the beating heart of Ely, and it was clear that around this place of worship, shops began to open and homes were constructed. Once I walked past the heavy wooden doors of the church, I was dazzled by the beautiful design of the walls and the stained glasses. But the true highlight of my visit was the tour of the Octagon Tower. To reach the tower, we took a set of spiral staircases - quite steep and dizzying - to reach the roof of the transept. From here, we had the most remarkable view of the city and the river, and despite the cold wind striking our faces, we could only stand gawking as we stood between the cathedral chancel and the Lady Chapel.

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The Dead Sea

AdminFebruary 13, 2017December 14, 2018

By amberherrle

Last Thursday my program took us on an excursion and our first stop was the baptism site. A mere one hour drive from Amman, just along the Jordan river, you can visit the spot where archeologists and theologists believe that Jesus was baptized. Walking to the site, you walk down a trail that, as so many of these college-educated young people put it "really feels like all the stuff you read in the bible". Yes, it does.

The Jordan river today looks different than the Jordan river that Jesus was baptized in; the baptism site is about a 10 minute walk from the river.

The baptism site was newly excavated to reveal an intricate pool and water system from 1 AD (yes, you read that right.). Most interesting to me was that almost every Christian denomination was constructing or has constructed a church in this area of the Jordan valley. A 360 picture taken from the Baptism site would reveal a Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Catholic, Baptist, and a Presbyterian church. It was pretty amazing to think of what Christmas Eve must look and sound like from this sacred place.

Walking away from the Baptism Site, you'll arrive at the Jordan River. I had expected a vast and strong river but the Jordan River at the point closest to the baptism site is a mere 20 feet wide.

This came as a surprise to me - we were on the Jordanian side of the river and the opposite side revealed the West Bank, just a quick breast-stroke away (don't worry mom and dad, I didn't try it). I struggled to understand the political and social implications of my presence in this sacred spot. In the picture above, you can see the infrastructural differences on the sides. On the Jordanian side, a noninvasive dock lets you dip your feet into the Jordanian water or relax on the wood benches a few feet away. On the other side, an expansive and elaborate tourism office sits with a series of steps to get into the river.

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Daily life in Prague

AdminFebruary 13, 2017December 14, 2018

By hjensen95

I LOVE transit here in Prague, it is the simplest, most intuitive and, useful I’ve experienced in my life. It is based off the “trust system,” in that you only need to show your ticket if you’re asked. Meaning you can just hop on and hop off the metro as you please. There are three methods of public transportation; the tram, the metro, and the bus.

I use the tram most times and occasionally the metro and I’ve never used the bus. The nice things about the program that I’m on is that they provide you with a metro card to use for free the duration of the entire semester. Now having this luxury, I couldn’t imagine having to pay for public transportation in cities like London or Paris.

Cost is something that came into consideration when choosing a place to study abroad. Prague has one of the lowest cost of living throughout Europe and that is apparent when traveling to other cities. For example, most meals cost between $4 - $8 USD – a steal compared to other major cities.

Most locals eat lunch out because it’s both cheap and the largest meal of the day. I’ve started to get into the rhythm of making breakfast and dinner for myself and eating lunch out. Today I ate chicken with potatoes and gravy and that cost me 100 Krona (or $4 usd).

While I’m not studying it in school, I’m interested in international economics and how the costs of things (say a coffee) differ between countries and economies. I can get a coffee for about $1 or $2 that I would pay around $5 back in the states. While some things are overpriced; when I first got here I accidently paid around $18 USD for a shampoo (without realizing the conversion rate until too late).

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Planning to Pack and Planning to Plan

AdminFebruary 13, 2017December 14, 2018

By vgosalvez11

Yup, I am still not gone yet. I have become convinced that I am the only one left not in school or at my study abroad. While many of my friends were rushing to order textbooks or trying to cram a last pair of shoes into a carry-on bag, Chile still felt like a far-off dream to me.

To be honest, it still feels kind of like a far-off dream. I leave in three days, and then my program orientation officially starts two days after that. After that, it is a week of orientation, and then I don't even start classes until the first week of March. This is definitely an unconventional schedule, as I won't be done with finals until early July, rather than early May. Due to the fact that Chilean students are currently celebrating their Summer Vacation on the other side of the equator, they will be starting their fall semester in March rather than August.

These last weeks have been both restful and difficult; I am starting to get my first taste of something I know I will deal with all throughout my semester . . . FOMO. As many of my friends can tell you, I am practically the poster-child for Fear Of Missing Out.

Without being sappy, I can say that I love GW. I love my friends there, and I also love the activities and clubs I am involved in as much as I love DC. Okay, you got me . . . obviously, I don't love late nights in Gelman, but generally I have a lot of fun.

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Une semaine à Dakar

AdminFebruary 13, 2017December 14, 2018

By lrich522

Things haven’t been particularly easy in this third week, but overall I’m really and truly enjoying myself and loving it here in Dakar. There is definitely a more relaxed vibe here, and no one is ever too rushed to stop and ask how you're doing. Now that I’ve started my internship and found myself in a routine of sorts, I thought I’d outline what a typical week looks like for anyone who may be curious, or interested in this program. (note: details vary for everyone. Except for the part about not having toilet paper. That's definitely a constant.)

Mondays and Wednesdays are for classes. I wake up around 6:45, shower, get ready, eat breakfast (which is always a giant piece of baguette with chocopain and tea), and catch the bus around 8:00 with some other students who live in my neighborhood. The bus stop is only a five-minute walk from my house and the stop where we get off is about ten minutes from the CIEE study center.

We normally arrive at the study center somewhere between 8:30 and 8:45. Classes start at 9 (however I have the first time slot free so I try to get some homework done during that time), and each one is an hour and fifteen minutes. After my free space I have beginner’s Wolof, public health, lunch, democracy and governance, and advanced French for development studies, all of which are in French. For lunch, we can leave to buy food, go home, or even ask our families to pack us a lunch, but normally we eat on the roof terrace where there is a small kitchen with a kind woman named Marie who sells spectacular food. There’s a menu consisting of massive sandwiches on entire baguettes or you can by the “plat du jour”. Each of those cost 1,000 CFA francs which is equivalent to about $1.60. Last week I had the plat du jour, which was a plate of couscous and beef, and it was absolutely fantastic.

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Rome wasn’t built in a day

AdminFebruary 13, 2017December 14, 2018

By emilycreighton

Here's a fun fact for you: Rome wasn't built in a day, but I saw it in one. Okay, well two. One of the many perks of studying abroad in Europe is the close proximity of other countries. For example, my flight to Rome took only two hours and cost about 60 euros round trip.

60 euros!!!

It was an opportunity I couldn't miss. So when a few people in my program brought up the idea of taking a weekend trip to Rome, I immediately hopped on board. And I'm so thankful I did because the Eternal City stole my heart (and budget).

Thursday night was filled with bubbling excitement and strategic packing. Our flight left at 9:15 pm- which meant there would still be enough time to explore the city at night. Which is exactly what we did.

We randomly strolled through the cobblestoned streets and under tall palm trees when I noticed a familiar face on the other side of the street. He was another GW student named Lucas. My mouth dropped as we waved at each other and spoke about our semesters and mutual friends and random chances. He spoke about a few places we should visit and then we said our goodbyes.

But not ten minutes later I ran into another friend, Audrey. We screamed girlish screams and hugged a lot until I had to leave with my other friends. I'm currently 5,000 miles away from GW on the other side of the world and yet it's just so small.

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Anti-Cafes: My New Favorite

AdminFebruary 13, 2017December 14, 2018

By KMorris117

Привет!

It has been a little over a week since I first touched down in Russia, and what an exciting one it has been. I have moved in with my host family, and the experience has been fantastic so far.

Marina, my host mother, makes sure I am (overly) fed every day. She is kind-hearted, hardworking, and enjoys talking about growing up in St. Petersburg and in the USSR.

Liza is my host sister. She is working towards a Master’s Degree in art history, and she also works at a contemporary art museum in St. Petersburg. She speaks English pretty well and has helped me in adjusting to my new environment.

Ivan, or Vanya, is my host brother. He works and goes to school, and he is a great musician. He plays guitar and sings, and the other night we were jamming to some Adele and John Legend. The music I have heard in Russia is incredibly interesting to me. At restaurants and cafes, many of the songs they play are in English. Some are more recent, popular songs, and others are songs I haven’t heard since middle school. On Friday night, the bar we were at was playing all the pop hits from 2007-2010. To say us international kids were excited is a HUGE understatement.

Obviously, things are very different here than they are in the US. Still, I was surprised at how much of a bustling city St. Petersburg truly is. When many imagine Russia, they imagine a cold, barren wasteland. However, St. Petersburg is a constant hub of activity; it is like any other European city, except everything is in Russian!

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