So, this is it: my last post for this blog. I think in my first entry after arriving in Prague, I said something to the effect of me not even being able to put into words how I felt about the kinds of experiences I had had just in that first week. I think now I can say with confidence that that's true of the entire semester, really. The places I've been, things I've done, and people I've met have all had such a profound effect on me that I can't even begin to describe it. So I'm not going to try to! ...continue reading "The End"
Tag: GW Exchange
Another Revolution? Mumkin.
Mumkin is probably the word I hear and say the most. My friends and I use it when we’re discussing homework, dinner plans, travel plans, and politics. It even slips out when I’m Skyping my family. It means “maybe.” People have been saying mumkin even more than usual in the past few weeks, in the wake of Morsi’s new declaration of power. Nobody knows what’s going to happen, and predictions are running rampant. Many people are confident that people will check the president before he takes any more control, or at least that the Muslim Brotherhood will find a solution to the dissent. Others are more pessimistic and see this as a blow to the prospect of Egypt being a “real democracy.”
Following Morsi’s decree, students and professors alike have been a little on edge. For better or worse, our neighborhood is isolated from most of the action. We’ve been following updates on our computers, when the internet connection is working. People’s personal politics differ, of course, but everyone is comparing this situation to the last revolution. Even people who voted for Morsi are outraged by his actions and see it as a power grab that is too reminiscent of Mubarak. I’ve spoken to women who are worried that Egypt’s constitution will not protect them from discrimination. At the same time, Morsi has huge support from the Muslim Brotherhood. Violent clashes have happened between them and the more liberal protesters. ...continue reading "Another Revolution? Mumkin."
Hello India!
Finals are over! I left Singapore last week, on the 3rd of December. It was a rather difficult process saying bye to all the new friends I made while studying abroad. I will miss each and every one of them greatly and hope I will be able to meet them either in their home countries or in the US sometime in the future. The other difficult part of wrapping up my study abroad process was packing- I did not realize how many things I managed to accumulate over the semester! Although I will be returning to NUS in January, I had to pack up my whole room and place things in storage because of their housing policies. ...continue reading "Hello India!"
Departure
By jfbarszcz
Today is Sunday, December 9th, at about 2:30 PM CET. Exactly six days from now, I will be boarding a plane and leaving the city I've called home for the last three months, with no idea when I'll return. I definitely have mixed feelings about having to come back to the States. On the one hand, I'm very excited to be able to see my family and friends again, and there are many comforts at home that I simply do not have here. On the other hand... I desperately want to spend another semester here. I feel like the amount of time I've spent here hasn't been enough to really, fully explore and experience everything I've wanted to just in Prague, to say nothing of the Czech Republic and Europe as a whole. While I spent my first couple of weeks here practically overdosing on new experiences, as classes started, the weather got colder, and the days got shorter I inevitably had to slow down. If I could do another semester in Prague, I absolutely would without question. Unfortunately, my academic obligations make this impossible. But I'm not sweating it, since in all likelihood this won't be my last time in Europe. ...continue reading "Departure"
Thanksgiving in Prague
By jfbarszcz
One of the worst things about going abroad in the fall is missing out on Thanksgiving festivities in the States. I think I speak for almost all Americans when I say that Thanksgiving has always been one of the highlights of my year. I get to spend time with family and friends from home, I get to eat one of the biggest and best meals of the year, and I don't have school. What's not to love?
Of course, the godless communists nice friendly people over here in the Czech Republic don't celebrate American holidays, which includes Thanksgiving. And even if they did, it's not like I'm just gonna catch a plane back to New Jersey for the weekend. Consequently, this was the first Thanksgiving I ever spent away from home (and the first Thanksgiving I had class, gah). ...continue reading "Thanksgiving in Prague"
Black Friday on Mount Sinai
After a tough few weeks of school, some friends and I decided to spend Thanksgiving weekend in Dahab, a beach town on the Red Sea. The overnight bus ride there took about ten hours, including security checks. Bleary-eyed, we stumbled off the bus and were told to get into the bed of a waiting pick-up truck, which would take us to our hostel. I’ve reached a point where I don’t even question requests like this, so I grabbed my backpack and hopped in. After the dark bus, the bright sun and strong wind were welcome. The road was just as bumpy as Cairo’s highways, but we were wedged in so tightly that nobody bounced out of the truck. ...continue reading "Black Friday on Mount Sinai"
Academics at NUS
I'm currently in the middle of finals at NUS, so I figured it probably would be fitting to talk about how academics at NUS work. Through discussion with local students, I found out that NUS is an extremely competitive school. Students that wishes to attend NUS has to take competitive exams known as A-levels that basically determine if one can get admission to the university and what faculty (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law, arts and sciences, business etc.) they may enter. Apparently, top scorers on A-levels who are also well-rounded in terms of extra-curricular activities may potentially gain acceptance to medicine/law/dentistry (which are considered to be top faculties by some of the locals I talked to). ...continue reading "Academics at NUS"
True Life: Egypt Made Me Grow Up
I am lucky enough to be in Cairo with M.A., my best friend at GW. We’ve helped each other through almost three months in Egypt. But I’ve had to figure lots of things out myself, by experience or by trial and error.
It’s often said that students like to slack off while abroad, but I think being here has made me a better student. I have the responsibility of getting all my work done well and on time. That seems like an obvious statement, but it’s something I’ve had to work on. It’s hard to stay on task when someone’s always going to a party or trying a new restaurant, so sometimes I have to take a pass on fun. But whether it’s through field trips or all the real-life applications of class material, the distinction between school and fun is blurred anyways. I’m very invested in my classes here. Wanting to do well in them- to work as hard as I know my professors are working- is what keeps me focused. It’s worth it when I see a temple and know exactly what pharaoh built it, or when I get to use new vocabulary in conversation. ...continue reading "True Life: Egypt Made Me Grow Up"
Dollars and Crowns
By jfbarszcz
My prompt this week asks me to talk about a custom from my country that I think the US should adopt. While not a "custom," per se, there is one big thing that the Czech Republic does better than the US: money. No, I don't mean the Czech Republic is richer than the United States, or that their spending habits are better, or that Czech monetary policy is better than America's. I mean that their actual money, their cash, is so much better than ours, for several reasons. ...continue reading "Dollars and Crowns"
What I learned from studying abroad
When people find out that I'm studying abroad for an entire year, they always joke about how I get a "year-long vacation". However, I don't think that's the best description for it...I've learned so much in the past four months. I also don't think any text book or travel channel could teach me the valuable lessons I've learned while in Singapore. Three ways that studying abroad has helped me is through adaptability, self-sufficiency and self-reliance. ...continue reading "What I learned from studying abroad"