Global Identities – Page 16 – GW Blogs from Abroad

Outsider No More

AdminApril 18, 2014December 14, 2018

Whenever I arrive to a foreign land, I automatically feel like an outsider, and with good reason. But, I have noticed that, in a way, being gay gives me an automatic “in” to the culture I visit: being gay is sort of this connector, or equalizer, that transcends race, culture, social class. Despite the fact that people who identity as gay can be very different from one another, there is a perceived shared identity, a shared history.

This phenomenon was reinforced upon arriving to Rio de Janeiro. Rio has a sizable LGBT community, and when I reached out, I was warmly welcomed and on my way to making friends. But, as time has progressed, I have seen myself stepping out of the confines of the community because I don’t want to be surrounded by people who are strictly similar to me. Part of going abroad is to step outside your comfort zone, so I found it counterproductive to limit myself to one sector of Brazilian society. ...continue reading "Outsider No More"

To Identify or To Not Identify…

AdminApril 2, 2014December 14, 2018

By sonyakalmin

The thousands of American/abroad students and other foreigners from outside the UK make up the majority of the student population here. I guess you could say Edinburgh hasn’t really altered my communal values. To a certain extent however I feel more comfortable identifying myself as a Ukrainian than as an American. Stereotypes flow freely across Europe, and as soon as my New York accent flies off my tongue I automatically get badgered with questions and comments. “Why would you ever leave and come here?” “I want to marry a New Yorker.” “How do you say ‘hot dog’?” ...continue reading "To Identify or To Not Identify…"

Comunidade

AdminMarch 5, 2014December 14, 2018

By pw916

Community. It can be a place, group of people, or a feeling that makes you feel like you belong. Having been in Rio for about a month and a half now I've been slowing piecing together my new life and forming part of the community here. Below are some photos to visualize what and whom I am surrounded by.

If I'm not at school or on the street, I'm at home. My roommates are important because they are whom I come home to every night and they are the closest, most immediate resource I have if I ever need anything.

The exchange community here at PUC is ginormous and vibrant. There are about 500 of us here, but I am closest to those who did the Intensive Language course in January. Here we are at the top of the Dois Irmãos mountain. The other exchange students open my eyes to new opportunities in the city and are a great way to gauge how my perspective and experience of Rio is developing over time. ...continue reading "Comunidade"

My Community

AdminFebruary 19, 2014December 14, 2018

By sonyakalmin

com·mu·ni·ty

noun

a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

"the sense of community that organized religion can provide"

That is the three of us! Sabrina, Ariel and I: the three stooges from GW.

We all arrived here together and have become great friends during the last month.

My community here first and foremost includes these lovely ladies; I would be a complete mess without them.

This is George Square aka Our Campus here at the University of Edinburgh.

This picture doesn't do the vast property any justice, but you can take my word for it that it's absolutely stunning.

My sense of community here arises from my classes, my professors and my fellow student body.

I spend most of my days here, so I figured it's only fair to feature it in this post. ...continue reading "My Community"

Identity & Perception

AdminJanuary 31, 2014December 14, 2018

By pw916

Insert words like “male,” “Californian,” “student,” “brother,” and “friend” to describe my identity and you’d be off to a pretty good start. And although I’ll be the first to say that my identity isn’t defined by my sexuality, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that being gay has very much affected my world view and been a quality of mine that I often contemplate. ...continue reading "Identity & Perception"

Categories, Labels and Identities

AdminJanuary 29, 2014December 14, 2018

By sonyakalmin

Hey there! My name is Sonya and I am a junior at GW currently studying English Literature for a semester in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Stemming from a first-generation Ukrainian family, I have always oscillated between my American and my immigrant identity. Growing up in an all-Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York further accentuated the difference between my peers and me. However, it wasn’t until High School that I began to understood how little of a role my heritage played in the grander scheme of things, and by that I mean the millions of various backgrounds each teenager growing up in New York encounters. So in a nutshell, while feeling confused, even uncomfortable with my identity as a pre-teen, by the time I reached young adulthood I was fully aware that I wasn’t alone in the ‘strange family’ category. It wasn’t long before I became quite content with my own unconventional heritage. ...continue reading "Categories, Labels and Identities"