CIEE – Page 4 – GW Blogs from Abroad

How to Make Friends Abroad

AdminApril 21, 2017December 14, 2018

Let’s be honest. There are some people in this world that we could never get along with no matter how hard we tried. It’s really no one’s fault, but there are just some people who you don’t click with. Maybe you have clashing personalities, different interests, or just genuinely don't like each other.

And this usually isn’t too big of a problem, given that there’s almost 7.2 billion people in the world. As mentioned in previous blogs, people usually seek out like minded individuals and wall themselves off. Sure, may not be the greatest way to live your life, but there's some sense in it. It is genuinely hard to relate to people that don’t share your interests, your experiences, or your views.

Here in Spain, I’ve kind of felt trapped in the sense that meeting different kinds of people has been a struggle. I haven’t had the patience or time to actually maintain some of my earlier friendships, and this has led to the dissolution of many relationships. Additionally, as I’ve gone through my adventures in Spain, I’ve found that being an American restricts you in a way that makes you not quite “exotic” (for lack of a better word). Through the omnipresence of American media, foreigners will always know much, much more about the United States than you expect. And I think this kind of takes away from the cultural exchange aspect of studying abroad because I have no culture to exchange; Hollywood, Kanye West, and The New York Times are already spreading it around the world.

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Public Health Excursion

AdminApril 21, 2017December 14, 2018

By lrich522

This past weekend I traveled with my public health class three hours outside of Dakar to a village called Niarhar, in the Fatick region. I had never taken a public health course before, and chose this one at the beginning of the semester because I thought that Senegal would provide an interesting context to learn about the subject. We hadn’t realized until we arrived that we were in the town that our professor is from, and we were able to meet his entire family.

The point of the trip was to complete an “enquête”, or survey, that consisted of finding 40 kids and asking their parents questions regarding their children’s health. The class was split into 3 groups determined by the kids’ ages. I was in a group of 4 students charged with the task of finding the parents of 40 kids between the age of 3 and 5 years old.

Initially when our professor described the survey that we would be conducting, I was a bit apprehensive towards the idea of showing up to a village and asking parents medical questions regarding their children, especially considering none of us are actually studying medicine. The village itself was mostly Serer, and each group was provided a translator, meaning my already weak Wolof wasn’t useful for the most part.

We asked questions like age of child, sex, is he or she vaccinated, total # of children in household, has he or she been sick within the last month, did he or she go to the dispensiaire, was traditional healing used, what was the treatment, do you face obstacles in going to the local hospital, parents’ education level, and where they receive their information regarding health. I found that certain parents were more than willing to answer these questions for us, whereas others seemed a bit wary. In hindsight, I still feel uncomfortable about certain aspects of the experience.

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Interning Abroad

AdminApril 17, 2017December 14, 2018

By hjensen95

A requirement for my program in Prague (Communications, New Media and Journalism) is to maintain an internship while I’m studying abroad. The internships range in roles but fall within the realm of journalism, new media and public relationships. I was lucky enough to land a tech internship. I’m interning at a co-working space called Locus as the User Experience intern. My primary role being a website re-design and online database revamp by the end of my time studying in Prague.

The owner of the co-working space is an ex-patriot who has been living in Prague for years. The members of the space range from Czech locals to international people. It’s been very cool to interact with people from all walks of life at the co-working space. This experience has been fulfilling so many of my intentions for study abroad. It’s such a unique opportunity to have an internship abroad.

Because I’m pursuing a special interdisciplinary major (SIM) in Interaction Design (IxD) I had to convince the panel back at GW to allow me to go abroad. I made the case that having a global frame of reference is imperative to succeeding in the Interaction Design field. The first step in developing good IxD is to have a thorough understanding of different types of users to design comprehensive interfaces for them.

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When I was in High School, I had a Pretty Severe Fear of Rollercoasters

AdminApril 17, 2017December 14, 2018

By jcapobia

I am writing this blog just after the attack in London (3/22/17) and a week after the attack at Orly airport in Paris last week. As someone who grew up in the shadow of 9/11 (literally and figuratively), I’ve more or less lived with the threat of terror in the back of my mind. all my life. Although I’ve been lucky and never suffered the consequences of a terrorist attack and really haven't worried about becoming a victim myself, there's something about these recent attacks that have given me pause for concern.

So when tomorrow comes and I fly to Paris-- to the exact airport (Orly) where the terrorist attack occurred.--for the first time in my life, I am a little scared. I know this fear is not logical as my likelihood of being killed by my christmas tree is higher than being killed by a terrorist. Nevertheless, when I saw the pictures of London under lockdown after the attack, it made me very afraid because I remembered being on those exact streets just a month before.

I think I’ve always looked at terrorist attacks through the safety of a TV, thinking they occured in a world far away from me. However, something about being on those streets before, traveling to the airports, and being able to place myself in these hot spots of terrorist activity has made it all the more real for me. I’ll be honest,and admit that I am a little worried about my next two trips (Berlin, Germany and Paris, France) because these are two countries that have taken an active role in the Middle East and have been targets of previous attacks.

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Un dia en la vida

AdminApril 17, 2017December 17, 2018

By jcapobia

I haven’t done a “day-in-the-life” post yet so for those wondering what I do between writing these scintillating blogs, this posts for you. I’ll break up my days into three different categories: Monday/Wednesday, Tuesday/Thursday, and weekend. They mostly vary based off my class schedule, but overall all are quite similar.

Monday/Wednesday:

6:45: Wake Up and eat breakfast. 7:20 leave for train; a fifteen minute walk (at New Yorker speed) from my house.
8:00-9:00: Arrive at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid gym.
9:30-11: Class 1: Advanced Oral Communication: A class that examines stereotypes, linguistic, and cross-cultural differences between the U.S. and Spain, focusing on communication techniques and differences in expression
11:30-1: Class 2: Camino de Santiago: A class that studies the Camino de Santiago and prepares us for our trip along the Camino in May.
1-3: Take the train back home and arrive at home for La Comida 2:15. I usually eat with my host mother and one or more of my host brothers. We discuss our days or talk about random topics. Great for practicing Spanish as I make sure I use a new word or phrase everyday. Practicing with native speakers everyday is an incredible support to my language learning.
3-5: Siesta: I actually do take a siesta Monday and Wednesday. While the siesta doesn’t exist “officially” in Spain, as many stereotypes hold, there's definitely a noticeable drop in activity both at school and in my house during the late afternoon.
5-8: I grab the train (45min ride) to the center of the city where my Flamenco class is held. During class we prepare for our May performance by rehearsing the Flamenco style dance Las Sevillanas. Take train back
8- End of day: Either I will go back home and eat with the family for La Cena or if it's Wednesday, usually the GW Madrid program sponsors some type of cultural activity for us, whether it be a play or a Flamenco show.

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Politics, abroad…

AdminApril 14, 2017December 14, 2018

By hjensen95

The political climate in the Czech Republic is vastly different than that in the states, to say the least. The Czech Republic was under communist regime until 1989, it has only been a democracy since 1989 and was officially founded in 1992. The Czech Republic was formed (previously Czechoslovakia) when members of the parliament voted to pass a law officially separating the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.

Thus, making The Czech Republic one of the newest countries. Prague (and the Czech Republic) has a rich history of political turmoil, most famously known for the velvet revolution. The Czech Republic is a “unitary parliamentary constitutional republic” where the President serves as the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government. The current PM is Bohuslav Sobotka and the current president is Miloš Zeman.

Of course, I can’t escape American politics while abroad. I’m constantly asked about my views on Trump, the election and the political climate in DC. I thought, leaving DC for a semester would give me a bit of a political break, I was completely wrong. I think my political engagement has increased from going abroad. This has happened on two tiers; both when I meet locals in Prague and traveling other places in Europe and within the academic setting within my courses.

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To be a Colonial

AdminApril 14, 2017December 14, 2018

By lrich522

We’ve reached the point of the semester when it feels as if I’ve fallen into a routine and the days are flying by. Towards the beginning, I was constantly confronting new ideas, cultural differences, and what seemed at the time to be insurmountable obstacles. While I still face (plenty of) obstacles, it’s starting to feel like things are comfortable. At face value, comfort doesn’t necessarily have a negative connotation, however I realize I chose to study abroad in order to push myself beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone.

The on site CIEE staff organized a meeting last week in which a former student came to talk to us about this very topic, which made me much more cognizant of how my falling back into a comfort zone could be negatively impacting not only my own study abroad experience, but also more importantly the people of Senegal.

The speaker, Jacob Winterstein, is a teacher and a poet based in Philly, so you already know he’s cool. His presentation pulled themes from an article called “The View from the Veranda: Understanding Today’s Colonial Student”, in which the author, Anthony Ogden, defines and discusses this study abroad student archetype. (No, a colonial student in this sense does not mean a student who comes from GW). After having just arrived in Senegal, I had spoken with my friends studying abroad in South Africa and Rwanda (hello Emily and Carly) about feeling like I did not have a right to live here. I was struggling to understand my place and Carly said to me, “Ecotourism and voluntourism are topics, why don’t ppl write about educational tourism???”. Well, Carly, have I got the article for you.

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The Food Situation

AdminApril 14, 2017December 14, 2018

By KMorris117

To be quite honest, Russian food is not the most exciting in the world. There’s not a whole lot of spices or diversity in flavors. It’s very meat-and-starch centric, and there are not as many fruits and vegetables. It makes sense-Russia cannot grow such things in the winter, and their current foreign relations have left them with many sanctions and bans on food imports from other countries. Still, I am eating very well. A perk of living with a host family is the meals they provide. It not only saves me money, but it furthers the immersion experience. I am eating what a Russian would normally eat every day, and I think it is providing me a unique perspective on the current economic situation here! And that being said-my host mom spoils me. She buys lots of fruits and vegetables and gives me a full salad every night with dinner. I think I’m eating better here than I do at school!

But of course, I am eating out a bit too. Like any major city, St. Petersburg has a plethora of every type of restaurant you could want. I’ve had some killer meals, and my new favorite cuisine is Georgian. Which is good, since I just booked a short trip there at the beginning of April.

So what is Georgian food? Imagine the best cheese bread you’ve ever had in your life. And now imagine adding egg, spinach, meat, tons of spices, or just more cheese. That is Georgian Khachapuri (I suggest googling it right now). It is basically a dish of bread with cheese and whatever else you want in the middle. The traditional one is served with egg, which you then mix in with the cheese to get gooey Georgian goodness. Also ProTip: It pairs remarkably with Georgian wine. Just saying.

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Halfway to Nowhere: Cautiously Pessimistic

AdminApril 12, 2017December 14, 2018

By jcapobia

I thinkthis blog is cause for celebration because I’ve made it halfway through my study abroad experience. Although I am not fluent yet, I’m happy with the progress I’ve made both linguistically and in general. I’ve spent the last month figuring out my place here in Madrid, trying to hammer down schedules, become comfortable with my host family, and gain confidence talking to locals.

And for the most part I think I’ve succeeded in finding my place here in Madrid (more or less). I’ve finally gotten into a groove with my schedule and classes where it's almost (almost!) starting to feel mundane as the weeks pass by. Moreover, I’ve also gotten very close to my family. At first, as you can imagine, living with a family in another country that doesn’t really speak your language is a tough hurdle to clear. But I’m happy to say that after two months, I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. The family is extremely helpful and engaging. All my host-brothers and my host-mom have gone the extra mile to make sure I’m happy, well fed, and that I know what I’m doing in this foreign city (all while kindly correcting my Spanish). And finally, I think I’ve gained confidence in believing that I belong; that I’m more than a tourist in a foreign country. I feel (on the Metro, the Train, on the streets) like I am one of the locals, just going about my business.

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Wait, school? What’s school?

AdminApril 10, 2017December 14, 2018

By KMorris117

I realized that I have not posted much about a large reason I’m actually in St. Petersburg-school! In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned St. Petersburg State University and the Smolny campus. The campus is just as beautiful as it was the first day, and it is a lot more lively now that all classes are in session. I’ve got a few tests and quizzes coming up, so what better way to procrastinate than write a blog post about them?

As you know, I am taking Russian language courses while I am here. Because I am the only student who has never taken Russian before, there was no one else placed in my beginner level. Basically, my professor is individually tutoring me, and it is great. I am so thankful they were able to offer these classes to me because I am really learning a lot. It is overwhelming at times, getting a crash course in such a difficult language and sometimes having up to 3 hours of one-on-one Russian classes in a day, but I can already tell how quickly I am able to pick things up because of it. There is still a looong ways to go, but I knew coming into this that it would be a slow process. And even short conversations I am able to have with people in Russian is progress!

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