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Tag: Latin America

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By kneander

Greetings Reader!

Kai Neander

My name is Kai Neander, I am senior in the Elliott School concentrating in International Development and Minoring in Emergency Health Services.  This fall I'll be studying with SIT in Cochabamba, Bolivia in a program titled "Multiculturalism, Globalization and Social Change." Over the past two years at GWU I've gotten involved in greek life, student government and EMeRG. Prior to college I worked at a zoo in my hometown in northern California and had the opportunity to work with Jane Goodall as an ambassador for her youth initiative Roots&Shoots. I'm beyond excited to see what this semester abroad will bring to me and I can't wait to share stories, adventures and maybe even some awkward photos with you all over the next few months.

Until Next Time!!

~Kai

Published on

By jtmanley

You all know how the rest of it goes. July 15 is my last day in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Around 8.30 p.m., I will be leave Ezeiza International Airport and fly for 10 hours until I return to the United States (i.e., JFK). I can't really describe how I feel as I finish packing up my things and think about ending this experience. During my time in Argentina I had the good fortune of meeting excellent people from all around the world, learning from great professors, and enjoying Argentina's natural wonders, history, and culture. Studying abroad changed my life. It made me more independent, more confident in my abilities to connect across cultures, and it showed me how much we can learn from one another. ...continue reading "All Good Things"

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By jtmanley

Sorry for the lull guys. Things really picked up down here in the past two weeks! June 28 was the last day of the "cuatrimestre" at UCA. That means I am finally done with those three hour-long classes that start at 7.45 am and  spending way too many pesos on photocopies. It also means that I'm pretty much done with eating delicious medialunas (sweet butter croissants). The last one is hard for me because I became a medialuna convert on Day 1 and know that it will be hard to find them in Washington, D.C.

This week has been filled with work. I don't usually stress about academics (I'm of the belief that you should study the subjects you love so you never think of them as work), but when you  still haven't packed, bought souvenirs for the family, finished the final touches on those fall internship applications, and your 13 hour intercontinental flight leaves on July 15, you can probably get the picture. ...continue reading "Finals Week"

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By kbartz34

Today is my final day in Chile and it seems perfectly appropriate that I will be spending all of it with my host family. Perhaps the greatest blessing of this trip was being welcomed into their home - with open arms and open hearts. Through tears, Mom told me the other day that I will always have a home and a family in Chile. They are incredibly gracious and I thank God regularly for their lives. Off to a final family BBQ!

Family BBQ
Virtually every Sunday we spent the afternoon grilling on the porch. Going to miss those "asados"!

...continue reading "Mi Familia"

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By jtmanley

Cathedral of San Isidro

This week was very nice. On Thursday and Friday, Argentina celebrated the Day of the Flag, a national holiday that commemorates the death of the flag's creator, Manuel Belgrano, an important figure in early Argentine history. UCA was closed on Thursday and Friday due to the holiday. With only a few no-school days left before the end of the semester, I decided to travel during the four-day weekend.

Although I thought about several different places, I ended up going to the city of San Isidro with some friends from Spain last Saturday. San Isidro is a small municipality located in Buenos Aires province, around an hour outside of Buenos Aires City. After taking the train from the Retiro station, we arrived at the Mitre terminal and took the Tren de la Costa to San Isidro. It was good to get outside of the city and change the transportation up. Many UCA students live in San Isidro and make a similar commute every day. ...continue reading "Saturday in San Isidro"

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By kbartz34

If you ever have the chance to go abroad, prioritize befriending the locals! One of my Chilean friends took me to a backyard bbq - delicious food with a side of traditional dancing! From the artwork in the garden to the live music, it was easy to forget the frigid fall temperatures and enjoy a day with friends.

Brilliance in the Hills
The "backdoor" type entrance to the festivities.

...continue reading "A Sunday Afternoon in the Hills of Valparaiso"

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By jtmanley

Buenos Aires CabildoThe week of June 11 will be a busy one. I will take for two midterms, one in my Contemporary Political History class and another in my Argentine History I class. It's the latter exam that I am studying long hours for. Taught by two great professors, this class meets on Tuesdays from 8.30 am to 10.30 am and on Fridays from 7.45 am to 11.00 am. Yes, my class is 3 hours and 15 minutes on Friday mornings! In the past few months we have covered the major political, social, and military developments of what is now Argentina, from the creation of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata in the 18th century to the Argentine War of Independence and Civil Wars in the 19th century. ...continue reading "Only in BA: Midterm Preparation Fail"

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Chile's capital is surrounded by mountains. The coastal range and the Andes try to contain its over 6 million inhabitants. From the people to the food to the landscape, the city's diversity is impressive.

Sunset After The Rain
Due to the surrounding mountains, Santiago's smog is often too thick to see all of the city from the top of Cerro San Cristobal. However, due to heavy rains the day before, we were blessed with the perfect evening to watch the sun set over the coastal range.

...continue reading "Santiago"

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By jtmanley

In my Peronism class, each student must read a text specific to a particular unit and give a 15 minute class presentation on the main points and facts of the text. Remember that the language of instruction is Spanish, the texts are in Spanish, and the presentation must be in Spanish. This week, I was responsible for covering the third part of a three-part text on Argentine political transformations from 1955 to 1973 and the impacts of different societal groups (unions, students, guerrillas) on the transformations. Luckily, I did not have any problems with the presentation (which counts for a significant part of the final grade).

After receiving the text from my professor, I read the 16 pages over and wrote my notes/outline in Spanish. I found that writing notes in the language of instruction is the easiest way to remember information when it comes time to give a presentation. By thinking in the language and phrasing your thoughts correctly, you improve your Spanish and end up having an easier time understanding the text when you read it again. So after taking my notes and reading the text for the second time, I decided to test myself. ...continue reading "Preparing for the Spanish Presentation"

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