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Tag: FOFAC

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By rlubitz

In London, this election isn’t really a debate but a consensus of the whole entire country that Barack Obama should be elected yet again and the opponent is a *string of offensive names.*

This country fears the alternative. This country fears the alternative would be a step back in time. This country fears that things are too close and really, what are we thinking with that Romney character?

They fear what will happen to the EU, what will happen to US human rights and what will happen internationally. ...continue reading "London Loves Michelle Obama’s Arms Just As Much As We Do"

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By littlemisadventures

In between conjugating verbs and raging at the complicated process that is absentee voting, I’ve been excitedly awaiting the U.S. election. Before I left the States, I remember feeling disappointed that I would be out of D.C. at this time. Now that I’m here, though, I don’t mind it at all; being abroad in an election year gives one a unique point of view on the whole thing. Of course, all the American students discuss the election regularly, but we aren’t doing this in a bubble. It doesn’t feel like we’re distant from the discourse that surrounds it, because Egypt is following the debates and the polls closely too. The outcome of this election will have worldwide effects, so it isn’t surprising that people around the world are invested in it. ...continue reading "Experiencing an Election from Abroad"

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By oncptime

Hello. My name’s Charles. I’m a 22 year-old journalism student from Washington, D.C., and I am a not-so-recovering political junkie. Like so many other wonks, I got hooked on the stuff after getting a taste of the pure political electricity that was the 2008 election. Just a single week shy of actually being able to vote, I did everything I could to feel connected…which pretty much meant consuming inordinate amounts of news coverage and producing a mini-documentary about the inauguration.

I’ve since become that guy who relishes in political sparring with friends, family, and complete strangers. “What do you mean you aren’t voting? Let me tell you why abstaining is NOT an option.”

...continue reading "The Spectacle of American Elections"

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By hfirlein

Last Saturday all 11 members of York House traveled to Strandfontein, a township just up the coast from Muizenberg, our favorite beach, about 30 minutes south of Cape Town.

As volunteers, our job for the day was to prepare food for around 150 residents of the informal settlements of Klapteinsklip. The CIEE volunteer coordinator, Earl, dropped us off at the home of Auntie Charlene, or Auntie C, a retired mother of two (and very proud grandmother!) who donates her time every day to help the people of her community. Her house was warm and inviting and it was clear that she is one of the most well-loved women in her community. She runs a convenience store on her porch to supply the people in her neighborhood with basic pantry goods, and the few who stopped by that morning stayed to chat with her for a bit. ...continue reading "A Lesson in Curry and Compassion"

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By bbuck92

Valpo Surf ProjectWork with the Valpo Surf Project has taken a serious academic turn as I make headway with my research project. With many hours of readings done and hours spent with the project volunteering I have focused on connecting the my academic work with my experiences with the NGO. After reading much on the subject of what constitutes nature and stewardship, themes that have much to do with the VSP experience I zeroed in on the subject of environmental citizenship. While the VSP promotes "stewardship" in general what I hope to suggest in my project is that the VSP becomes advocates of environmental citizenship. Just what constitutes an environmental citizen? According to the author John Barry, within the understanding of republican citizenship, that is active citizenry, an environmental citizen is an advocate for preservation, conservation, and sustainability, in all his or her civic activities. Most interestingly this citizen practices resistance. ...continue reading "From Environmental Stewardship to Environmental Citizenship"

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By tierneybb

ZZAPP!! With a violent buzz like a miniature thunder clap my eyes jerk up from my work to the window, where the waiter has pinned a fat fly under some sort of electronic tennis racket, and apparently, fried it. While I've never seen such an odd device for pest control that's not what's so jarring, nor the noise disturbing the ambient pulse of music: This is the fist time I have seen a bug killed in public since starting my study abroad. Other than my own furtive swatting when away from prying eyes, I haven't seen any bugs intentionally killed. All sentient beings, even bugs, are part of the chaotic cycle of samsara, and thus good Buddhists and Hindus are not supposed to kill them, and doing so around them is considered insensitive. I've heard a rumor that H.H. the Dalai Lama once disputed the cognizance of mosquitos, that they weren't really sentient and could probably be safely swatted, but I didn't have the guts to test this in public (and prefer to avoid the awkward wipe-off of the guts of insects). Even a cockroach making a steady climb up grandmother's back was knocked off and gently carried to a window. ...continue reading "Gangtok, Sikkim (India)"

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By oncptime

Italian Men Are Always Happy To See You

The stereotypical Italian man is a flirt. He’s swarthy and charming, insistent and forward. His name is Fabrizio or Giuseppe, or Vito, or Angelo, and he is always happy to see you. It isn’t his smile or the matching kisses he greets you with that clue you into his pleasure at seeing you, though. One need only to look…ever so slightly south of the belt buckle to see just how fond of you he really is. ...continue reading "Italian Men Are Always Happy To See You"

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By rlubitz

For the past few weeks I’ve been abroad. That’s what I’ve been thinking and doing and talking about this whole time but since I’ve been here a while it’s finally struck me that I’m actually STUDYING abroad. Like I have to do work. Meaning papers. And maybe take an entire day in a library to get through life. Maybe there will be a week straight where I’ll exist on Tesco Only Ham sandwiches and the sacred 30 pence chocolate bar. ...continue reading "An Explanation Of My Impending Breakdown"

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By littlemisadventures

Before coming to Egypt, I did my research and talked to people about how things operate here. I have therefore avoided most cultural faux pas. I can navigate taxis, mosques, restaurants, and classrooms without any trouble. I’ve learned, however, that it’s not good manners to worry too much. In my experience so far, appearing worried about things that are perceived as “no big deal” just makes you seem uptight and overly anxious- in other words, a killjoy. One should let things happen and not get upset if (and when) they go wrong. ...continue reading "Taking It Easy in Egypt… No, Really."

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By jfbarszcz

It's been a busy week and weekend for me, as I suddenly find myself with lots of work to do. Midterms, presentations, general homework, plus scheduling classes for next semester (Yay FOFAC priority registration! Boo transferring into Columbian from Elliott and having to figure out all the new GCRs!) Heck, even writing this blog, while I don't want to call it a chore, still takes some time. And while my classes here are generally less intense than GW classes, it's still hard to get work done for them for a couple different reasons: ...continue reading "Week (I’m Not Even Counting Anymore): Midterms"

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