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Tag: GW Exchange

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By Taylor Garland

I’ve found that my early 20’s has been filled with moments where I must reconcile the fact that I did not inherit my mother’s punctuality, and that I am naturally and routinely late for things. True to form, a delay out of New York resulted in a delay at my layover in LAX for a full 24 hours. Being late to Singapore meant sacrificing the $5 I had put down for my hostel that night, and missing the 53th celebration of Singapore’s independence. Big bummer, but I had a great time in LA with some of my closest friends, so I wasn’t too upset.

After a 17-hour flight from California, I touched down at 7am in Singapore, and met a heavily air conditioned and spectacularly large airport. Immigration was quick (FYI: student visas are an easy online application away for those interested in studying here!), I bought my SIM card before I left the building (which I recommend) and exchanged some American money for local cash (which I also recommend doing in Changi Airport – better rates than in the US).

...continue reading "Acclimating to a New Architectural Environment"

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By eevenden

Halló allir! (Hello everybody!)

When people talk about Iceland, one the first things that comes to mind is “Vikings”. Famous for its sagas and home to Leif Ericsson, Iceland is often stereotyped as the ancient home for Nordic Gods, warriors, blacksmiths, etc., etc. As a foreigner, it can be very difficult to separate fact from fiction here, since (in America) we do not learn much about northern Europe, and, as tourists, we want to believe these interesting myths about Vikings. However, it is important to know that much of the “Viking history” of Iceland is exaggerated for tourism, and in fact, few people would consider themselves decedents of Vikings. While I am here, I am taking a class about Icelandic culture, where we’ve talked a bit about the history of Iceland. So I would like to share some of the information I have learned in order to counteract a bit of the stereotyping we have abroad.

In our class, we’ve learned that the common historical narrative for Iceland tends to look like this (see below), with the “prosperous times” of Iceland being associated with independence, and the “unprosperous times” being associated with foreign rule. However, this trend is not necessarily true, since the good and bad times of Iceland also correlate with climate changes. While Iceland was under foreign rule, it was also experiencing the Little Ice Age, which made life here much more difficult.

To start from the beginning, Iceland was most likely colonized around 871 by Scandinavian and British farmers. Most likely, Iceland was visited before this for fishing purposes, and even inhabited before this time by Irish Monks. However, 871 marks the year when permanent settlement began, and this date has been estimated by comparing literary and geological data. Iceland is actually the youngest European society, despite the perception of it being very old.

...continue reading "Icelandic History & U.S.-Iceland Relations"

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By eevenden

Hæ vinir! (Hey, friends!)

This week I am going to write about my experience travelling around Iceland outside of Reykjavik (on a student budget). Since a number of people I know will be coming here to visit me or traveling to Iceland on separate trips, I figured it would be best to condense my knowledge and advice into a blog post in order to makes sure everyone’s trips are, one, safe, and two, relatively affordable.

Over the past two months, I have been on three day trips outside of the city to see some of Iceland’s famous natural landscapes! All of these trips have involved renting cars and planning a route for the day, which I will discuss later. My first trip was to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in the North (#1 on the map below), a very scenic, mountainous area which is a bit colder and snowier than Reykjavik. The second trip (#2) was along the South Coast, as much as you can reasonably see in a day, which is famous for its farms, waterfalls, and black-sand beaches. Today was my third trip out of the city, around the Reykjanes Peninsula, home to the Capital and the Keflavik Airport, where almost all international flights arrive. This area is known for its tectonic and geothermal activity. In two weeks, when my boyfriend is here, we will drive further along the South Coast to Höfn (provided the weather is good) and spend three days exploring an area known for both its volcanoes and glaciers (see pink, hashed line). When planning trips in Iceland, it is worth asking yourself “what kind of sights do I want to see”, because it will differ a lot depending on where you go.

In this blog post, I will discuss the process of renting a car and driving in Iceland from a tourist/student’s perspective, since it is the cheapest way (and therefore only way) I have traveled throughout the country. There are a number of tour companies which can make your experience less of a hassle, but those trips will be more expensive, limiting, and crowded. So, unless you are very limited on time or don’t feel like researching and planning a trip, I wholeheartedly recommend driving yourself.

...continue reading "How to Travel Around Iceland (on a student budget)"

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By shellytakessingapore

In my previous post, I mentioned ways to get around Singapore. However, another important component of the study abroad experience includes traveling to nearby countries and exploring other cultures as well. Often times, friends will post their crusades in other countries on social media. While the pictures seem to portray simple, fun adventures, what isn't shown are the numerous hours pouring over details about flights, lodging, activities, and meals.

Even before arriving in Singapore, I had a vague idea of other countries I wanted to travel to visit while studying abroad. This list included countries such as: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Laos. As days turned into weeks and I continued to remain in Singapore, my anxiety about traveling increased. I had created an unreasonably high expectation for myself regarding traveling. For me, studying abroad meant doing something new everyday and exploring new countries every weekend. However, the reality is far from this idealized theory. Below I have listed some myths that I believe people have about traveling to other countries.

Myth 1: Everyone's schedules will align perfectly.
The experience of traveling to other countries is enhanced when friends join along and explore together. In an ideal world, all of the friends that one makes while studying abroad have the same class schedule. This schedule would consist of classes from Tuesday to Thursday so that Friday to Monday can be dedicated to traveling. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. On my trip, I have friends whose classes end around 6pm on Friday. I, myself, have classes on Mondays that start at 12pm. Moreover, the situation becomes even more nuanced when more people are factored in. While it can be frustrating to have to limit traveling to certain days throughout the weekend, it is important to be flexible and accommodate everyone. A benefit of traveling with a group of friends as opposed to traveling alone is that you can feel safer in an unfamiliar place.

...continue reading "The Truth About Abroad While Abroad"

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By maxleo43

Hello and welcome to my first Blog Post! My name is Max and I am part of the second cohort of GW’s Global Bachelor’s Program (GBP). The Global Bachelor’s Program is a comprehensive study abroad program with students from the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Elliott School of International Affairs, and School of Business. There are around 26 of us who are in GBP and we will all be going to Shanghai shortly, along with Stephen Suranovic, an economics professor at GW. As part of GBP, I am required to either spend two semesters abroad (Shanghai included) and hold an international summer internship or spend three semesters abroad. The idea is that by spending this time abroad, students will develop a truly global perspective of the world.

I will be studying at Fudan University, which is about 20 minutes from downtown Shanghai. The semesters at Fudan do not match up perfectly with GW’s, and so I do not leave for China until February 11th and don’t start classes until March 5th. The last day of finals is July 6th. Unlike universities in the U.S., spring break isn’t a thing at Fudan, and I only get about three days off for holidays during the whole semester.

I am in a rather peculiar situation in that instead of returning to the U.S. after my semester at Fudan, I will be heading straight to Mumbai, India, to intern for VIVA Group, a real estate development company. I am studying Finance and Real Estate and am considering a career in real estate development. As such, I am hoping that this internship will provide me with some clarity. As a result of this internship, I will be gone from the middle of February through the beginning of September, almost 8 months total.

I keep getting asked how I feel about leaving, and I am still struggling to find a good answer. I am excited for the change of scenery and way of life. Unsurprisingly, I am also nervous. I do not speak the language, I have never been to China, and I am still not even sure what a typical Chinese meal looks like. While I could describe my feelings as nervous or excited, I think that I could best be summed up as optimistic. I do not know what I will encounter. I just simply have no idea what the next eight months of my life will look like, and I am completely okay with that.

 

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When the first gust of hot, humid air hit me as I exited Changi Airport I came to the realization that my study abroad experience wasn’t a topic of discussion with family and friends anymore, but finally a reality. The transition from the freezing temperatures from my home state of Massachusetts during winter break to the tropical rainforest climate of Singapore was quite drastic for me. Singapore is an island city state that is located south of Malaysia and lies immediately north of the equator. The locals here joke that there are four seasons in Singapore: wet and hot, wetter and hot, dry and hot, and dry and even hotter. The average temperature ranges anywhere from the mid 70s to the lower 90s. I arrived on January 9th, which was still in the wet season. As I travelled from Changi, which has been ranked as one of the best airports in the world, to the National University of Singapore (NUS) campus, I couldn’t help but be amazed as I saw the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore Flyer, and ArtScience Museum in person for the first time.

When I arrived on the NUS campus, I headed straight to my assigned dorm called UTown Residence (UTR). UTR is one of several dorms that exchange students live in. My dorm is filled with mostly exchange and graduate level students. I live on the 15th floor in one of the two towers at  UTR. I have a really nice view from my room and share the room with three other exchangers. I would say the room layout at UTR is similar to that of West Hall at GW. Each student has their own room which includes a bed, a desk, and a dresser. Then there is a small common space with three couches and a kitchenette. As I mentioned, my suitemates are also exchangers. One attends school at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia; the second is from Germany but studies in Switzerland. My third suitemate is coincidentally a GW student! I was really surprised that one of my suitemates attends GW as I believe there are only five GW students studying at NUS this semester.

After settling down into my dorm, I went out to the cafeteria where I was shocked to find out how cheap the food is in comparison to those in the United States. My first meal in Singapore was this dish called chicken laksa. Its a soupy dish that has noodles and chicken in it. That meal cost me $4 SGD which is around $3 USD! Chicken Laksa is definitely one of my favorite meals in Singapore. While the price for local food is not too expensive, other products that are imported into Singapore are quite expensive. The price for sunscreen for example is $8 SGD for around 1.6fl oz. Because Singapore is such a small country, most of its products have to be imported which drives up the price of products. ...continue reading "Welcome to Singapore!"

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As an international student at GW, I am used to long flights, layovers, and the TSA. However on the 7th of January, as the plane circled over the small city-state of Singapore, I could feel my heart racing. Instead of the familiar lights of Dulles that greet me every semester, I could see oil rigs, boats, and a turquoise blue sea. And then, there it was— Singapore, bathed in the soft light of a January dawn. As I peered out of the window, I could see tall skyscrapers, gentle hills and winding roads dotted with cars. ‘For a small city-state, Singapore does not look all that small,’ I thought as I looked out of the window.

While Singapore is much smaller than other sprawling metropolises like New York, and my hometown, New Delhi, it is more than 5 times the size of Washington D.C. Unfortunately for me, I had no previous knowledge about this and had assumed that one could easily walk from one end of Singapore to another in a matter of a single day. On my second day in the country, I told this to an elderly lady on the MRT (Singapore’s Metro), who laughed and said, “Can lah! But would take more than a day ah.” Tickled with my ignorance she went on to tease me, “Aiyyo! Don’t walk too much lah, you might reach Malaysia.”

Singapore’s proximity to Malaysia and other Southeast Asian nations, as well as its history as a trading port, has allowed Singaporeans to become a very diverse people. Malay, Indian, and Chinese are just a few of the broad ethnic identities that Singaporeans identify with. In my first few days in Singapore, I learned that these identifiers were more complex. A local friend described herself as a Hokkien Chinese Singaporean, while another described themselves as an Indian Muslim Singaporean!

...continue reading "Singapore? Can lah!"

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By czhangangel

When people go to study abroad, the first identity that is assumed is a student; and the following is a traveler. We should not be too unfamiliar with being a student, but for many people, being a traveler is.

This wasn’t my first rodeo being out of my home country for a long period of time, but it was my first time going alone. While there was some nervousness, I was more excited and eager than anything. I knew what resources that I had, and I felt that I had the energy to tackle any forthcoming challenges. Upon reflection of my duration studying abroad in Hong Kong, I felt prepared for the experience but also learned a lot from it. Here some things to expect while you study abroad and how to have the best travel experience.

What’s Ahead

As with anything, there are good and bad sides. The good side of studying abroad is that you are going to meet a lot of people, make new friends, eat good food, travel to new places, and maybe learn a new language. You will seldom find a time where there is nothing to do with time spent exploring new places with new people and building relationships that will extend beyond study abroad, while not studying. The bad side includes not feeling that you totally fit in the institution, finding thing inconvenient, and/or feeling torn between your old life at home and your new life at your study abroad location. How one experiences any of these study abroad experiences depend on your support at home and abroad.

...continue reading "A Reflection: Attitude is Key"

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The Scottish National Museum, like many museums in the UK benefits greatly from the UK's colonial history. They are filled with items from across the globe, procured in many different ways, ranging from purchase to "discovery" to looting. As far as looting goes, regimental museums are among the worst culprits. As the regiments scattered across the globe to grow and steady the empire they found curios and souvenirs to bring home with them. Some were stolen, some were taken from the battlefield, and of course, some were purchased fairly. Most of these objects are relatively small or minor so returning them would be difficult or impossible because they aren't really traceable or not notable enough to be missed. The wrongs that happened in the past are still wrong but not currently able to be redressed. From what I have heard the worst offender is the British Museum which holds large quantities of objects of immeasurable cultural value. These objects, taken by explorers, archaeologists, or purchased by rich collectors are highly controversial. Yes, they are displayed prominently for all to see in their current home but many people for whom they are culturally significant or whose nation's wealth they represented are unable to visit.

...continue reading "Museums in the UK"

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In the midst of finals season and studying for my last final, I have decided to take a break in order to reflect on the past four months.

I guess I knew my time in Ireland would go by quick, especially given all the fun I've had and new memories I'll be able to keep with me forever. Being in Ireland has not only allowed me to become more independent, but it has demonstrated to me that there is more to life than just work, work, and more work. It has given me a mind set which incorporates hard work and relaxation. In other words, a balance.

In Ireland I was able to make time for making new friends, partaking in different cultures, relaxing on the weekends, all while still managing to take four engineering courses and labs. The work was not easier or less demanding, it was just that having the opportunity to be abroad for four months would not allow me to dwell on the idea of how difficult heat transfer or biomedical signal processing were to understand.

I was able to meet a multitude of different, interesting people, that I hope to stay friends with for the rest of my life. They will forever be a part of a memory which I will never forget. I have seen incredible landscapes and nature, all while learning about so much history my classes back in the states did not teach me. Traveling to Budapest, Prague, and Vienna was not only a fun experience, but one in which I got to learn in as well.

...continue reading "It's A See You Later Not A Goodbye"

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