April 2018 – Page 6 – GW Blogs from Abroad

Utilizing passion for Change

AdminApril 2, 2018

Last post, I described the role that passion plays in fostering a sense of community. To build off of that, I’m going to talk a little bit about letting passion drive service. As I previously posted about, I have found an amazing yoga community here in Shanghai and am incredibly grateful to have met so many individuals with similar passions to my own . With almost three months down, and about a month and a half left of my time in China, I have been starting to think about my plans after my time in Shanghai.

In July, I will be heading to Uganda, Africa for the summer. In Uganda, I will be working with an organization called the Giving Circle, which is a non-profit organization that assists with educational and health development in poor regions of the world. In particular, I will be working with midwives in the African village called Kagoma Gate Village. In Kagoma Gate, I will be observing and assisting with health practices in an underdeveloped region of the world. The work that the Giving Circle does is incredible, and I am very excited to be a part of their efforts. The organization has been expanding and making unbelievable transformations in the Kagoma Gate community. As an entirely non-profit organization, the more money that is raised, the more aid the Giving Circle can provide.

Living in Shanghai, I have experienced life in a developed city where most of the population is relatively well off. Thinking about my near future, I will be living in a location vastly different from my current one, transitioning from a global city to an underdeveloped village. I began brainstorming how I can use my time here in Shanghai to help the individuals in Uganda who I will be working alongside for the summer.

One of my friends here named Sarah is currently a PhD student at the university where I am studying. Sarah was the yoga instructor at a yoga class I attended on campus, and we began to talk about yoga and have been friends ever since. A few days after I met Sarah, she invited me to an outdoor yoga class that she was holding at a nearby park. I had such a fun time with Sarah and her friends, and got an idea for a fundraising event to benefit the giving circle.

Now that temperatures are rising in Shanghai, I am hoping to host a fun night time yoga session outdoors. As of now, I am planning on co-teaching with Sarah, who speaks Chinese, so that she can cater to the Chinese speakers and I can cater to the English speakers. Between the two of us, we can spread the message about our event to our friends here in Shanghai, and by creating a suggested donation for the class, we will be able to raise some money for the Giving Circle. If all goes well, we can maybe even hold more than one event. It will be such an incredible feeling to be surrounding with new friends for a night of yoga for a great cause and I am looking forward to sharing more details on the event to come!

A photo recap of our previous outdoor yoga session!

The Power of Connection in Hong Kong

AdminApril 2, 2018December 14, 2018

By Maya Haziza

Its crazy to think that I arrived in my apartment in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong just 5 months ago. I remember sitting in the back of my taxi from the airport and seeing the city lights of Hong Kong from and feeling so much excitement about the unknown journey I was about to embark on. I have now visited so many countries in Asia, but there is something very, very special about living, studying, and now working in Hong Kong. Most people who are unfamiliar with China and Asia in general can’t exactly picture what it is like to live in a city like this and little do they know that Hong Kong is also an island. The reason I love this place so much is because it is the most fast paced, dynamic, disorganized, exciting, and beautiful place in the world. It was easy to transition to living here because most people in Hong Kong speak English in certain areas and the city is filled with expatriates living and working abroad. After noticing the amount of international expats who are now so synthesized into the city, it showed me that being outside of your comfort zone is sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself. Many people are not brave enough to pick up their things, move to a foreign country, and start their lives from scratch. But I think that this exact challenge is what makes the people in Hong Kong different than any other city. In Hong Kong – there is comfort in discomfort and there is a ceiling for possibility higher than you can imagine. I have met people from all over the world simply by sitting at cafes and starting up a conversation and even landed an interview for a company based in LA, when meeting someone in Hong Kong. The connections are endless and I strongly urge people studying abroad or planning to – to take advantage of every single moment of every single day and to talk to as many people as possible, no matter where you are. Casual and professional connections are the greatest assets a person can have and can get you very far if you are genuine and trust in people. Be kind to others and be open, because you never know where it will take you.

Plot Twist! (Seriously.)

AdminApril 2, 2018December 14, 2018

By kyrahaltman

The last few weeks have been personally and professionally challenging. At the beginning of March, I made the decision to completely change internship sites and my research focus. Due to a variety of reasons, I decided to leave my current unpaid internship placement and begin pursuing a longstanding but unexplored passion: stray animal adoption in Athens, Greece.

I am now incredibly happy, volunteering each week with "animal-friendly" organizations who provide services to stray dogs at no cost. Many of these organizations, like grooming parlors and animal clinics, act as "secret weapons" to promote stray dog adoption in Greece. However, they receive no credit from the public and residents are not incentivized by the government to adopt stray dogs. Seeing these organizations interact with the stray population has been more rewarding, thought-provoking, and fascinating than ever imaginable!

I also have pivoted my research to focus on the vulnerable and growing population of stray dogs in Athens, Greece. By the time the semester ends, I will have conducted research, written a report, and sent my findings to the Greek government regarding the relationship between Athenian grooming parlors and the stray dog population in Athens, Greece. Within this topic, the aim of my research is to answer the question, “How are Greek grooming parlors’ practices supporting adoption of stray dogs in Athens, Greece?” More specifically, how is the denial or acceptance of stray dogs for grooming services affecting the adoption of stray dogs by residents in this municipality? By speaking to a dog groomer, veterinarian, and two individuals who have adopted stray dogs, this complex relationship will be explored and deconstructed. Findings regarding the motivation of grooming parlor owners for servicing stray dogs in their parlors will also be analyzed.

I am SO excited to analyze the findings of this research and continue this volunteer work! I feel very grateful for this opportunity.

Unconventional Cinema And Where To Watch It

AdminApril 2, 2018December 14, 2018

By tanvibanerjee

The “dreadful” finals season is upon NUS, and all the study areas are chockablocked with students. Anxiety levels are skyrocketing in NUS, and the university is blasting emails with important tips on how to deal with exam stress. One of my favorite ways to calm down and relax during exam season is to escape to a movie theatre!

In DC, I miss being able to watch Bollywood movies in cinema halls. So, the diversity of movies available in Singaporean movie theatres has been very exciting for me. Singaporean cinema halls not only play the standard Hollywood blockbusters but also cater to their diverse patrons by screening latest Bollywood, Tamil, Chinese, Japanese, Malay and Korean films! The best part about these films? They come with subtitles in different languages.

Here are 3 great Singaporean places for a unique movie session:

1. South Asian films at Bombay Talkies and Rex Cinema Theatres

I grew up watching Bollywood films, and they hold a special spot in my heart. However, Bombay Talkies and other Rex Cinema theatres screen not only Bollywood films but also the latest Tamil, Telugu and even Malay films. Most films have a screening at least once a day, but since these movie theatres are small and tend to screen more than five films, each film’s shows are limited.

These movie theatres also have special offers for students and senior citizens. Students can get two tickets at S$10 and senior citizens can watch a film for S$5! ...continue reading "Unconventional Cinema And Where To Watch It"

The City Itself

AdminApril 2, 2018December 14, 2018

By Nora_Wolcott

After weeks of not sleeping in my own bed, travelling from the Southernmost tip of NZ up to the Northern Coast, I've been overwhelmed with the scenery of this beautiful country. If I'm honest, I was also fairly run down by the end of my weeks of travelling, sleeping in hostels and waking up at the crack of dawn to tramp up mountains. Therefore, my decision to take a weekend in for myself wasn't a hard one. After a few days back in class I realised I had quite a bit of work to catch up on, and basic mundane things (groceries, laundry, etc.) that I had been neglecting. This week is the first week I've spent completely in the city of Auckland, and it's given me time to reflect on the merits of the city itself.

After travelling almost the entirety of this country, I can conclusively say that Auckland is the only real city in the whole place. However, it is a surprisingly major hub for such a little island, with a population of 1.4 million, almost twice as large as Washington, DC. This is apparent simply by looking at the architecture, all glassy skyscrapers, not the collection of townhouses I've grown to love back home. The most striking element of the skyline is clearly the Sky Tower, whose luminescent spire is reminiscent of Toronto. However, there is a lot more to the city than these touristy landmarks; just as in DC I've come to favor AdMo and U St over the White House and Capitol, there are many hidden gems within this major metropolitan area. For instance:

Queen Street, while not exactly a hidden gem, Queen St is the Broadway of Auckland, a major shopping hub just 5 minutes from my apartment. I'll never get tired of the endless Vietnamese street food, Kiwi boutiques and Indian groceries that this street has to offer. ...continue reading "The City Itself"

The pressures to be extra social abroad

AdminApril 2, 2018December 14, 2018

By Raman Mama

When being abroad, one of the biggest challenges is that you’re expected to be much more social than you would typically be.

The challenge of this is that if you are someone who typically treasures quiet and isolation or exploring alone, you may find it difficult to maintain these conditions abroad.

When you’re abroad, people love to ask you questions about where you’re from and what it’s like over there, so that they might hear the stories of your culture and be entranced by things that they did not know existed.

This is tough for some people and may be overwhelming. If you’re someone who likes to be on the outskirts and not the center of attention, there will be constant external stimuli begging you to engage with the world. This can be a challenge for many. However, the benefit in this is that it teaches you important diplomatic skills such as reaching across cultural lines to get to know people, and teach them about your culture.

The piece of advice I can give is that people should look to establish a social circle where they feel comfortable and understood, and can interact at a comfortable pace. Having this type of group will allow you to feellike you’re meeting people at a more comfortable pace and not interacting with the culture so rapidly and with no guidelines.

This is especially important with countries where the culture is not specifically western or English speaking. I experienced this in China. If you can’t find a person or group of friends from that country, then meet people who are from your own country or a similar one that understand it well and are willing to be your second set of eyes in a sense.