Learning @ GW – Page 17 – Postcards from GW

A Tearful Goodbye

AdminMay 4, 2015

Four and a half months ago I sat down at my computer to write an application piece for this blog. We were asked to write a bit about ourselves and our expectations of the adventure ahead – a tall order considering we were given just 500 words to express it in. Nonetheless, I felt that signing up for this blog would be a great way for me to encourage myself to document my experiences at GW and of life in DC and now, as it gradually approaches the end, I am absolutely thrilled that I did! Through my weekly posts over the last few months I have documented parts of one of the most incredible experiences of my life thus far and I hope that you have enjoyed sharing it with me as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you.

Although there are still a couple weeks before we actually leave DC, this is my last academic week here and with the handing in of my last paper on Wednesday this week, my time at GW will have come to an end. Where did the last few months go?! Honestly this semester has flown by and every time I think about the approaching deadline I can’t help but get teary eyed – accordingly, I totally anticipate tears to flow before this blog is complete (lucky you can’t see me writing!).

Looking back at my first blog and reading through my list of expectations I would say I had it pretty right, with a few minor errors. I expected to make new friends, learn a lot, see new parts of America, indulge in the theatre scene in DC, get involved on campus, be challenged, get a little lost, meet like minded individuals, etc. All of these, I would say now on the flipside, were totally on point. I not only met new people, I made incredible new friends who it is going to be near impossible to say goodbye to and who I cannot wait to continue my friendship with for many many years! I travelled – I saw so many parts of the country I hadn’t before visited, I learnt so much from fantastic professors, I saw as much DC theatre as I could cram in – including some of the student theatre on campus which was nice to see, I got a little lost on campus at first but quickly found my way – its not a difficult school to navigate by any means, I met like minded individuals and got to partake in some awesome theatre nerd conversations, etc. All in all, GW met all my expectations and then surpassed them by a mile. I expected/hoped/kept my fingers crossed that this experience would be amazing and that I would love it…and boy did I ever! It was everything I hoped for and more!

Where were my expectations wrong…well, I thought I was going to struggle sharing a room with someone else but actually that was a much better experience than I anticipated. Having never shared a room before I was unsure of what to expect and to be honest I totally underestimated how fun it could potentially be. Granted, I got lucky and I know that not everyone has as great of an experience with their roommates as I have, but I really enjoyed it and because of the close living conditions, I feel that I became that much closer with these amazing girls in a much faster amount of time. Whilst having my own room will be nice again when I get back to Sydney, I’m going to miss my four roommates so much (I’m already planning a trip back to visit them though before their graduation because I don’t believe in goodbyes - haha).

So to those of you coming to GW next semester – what would be the best things to tell you…

This experience is completely what you make it – it can be, like it has for my friends and I, some of the four best months you will have ever had. Step outside your comfort zone, take part in anything and everything you can, meet as many new people as you can, etc, and you will have the best time!
Take advantage of the great classes and professors that GW has – okay, not all the classes or teachers are fantastic but there are some incredible ones that I was lucky to take part in this semester, taught by really inspiring people. For many exchange students the semester is pass/fail but don’t let that deter you from really taking advantage of the great opportunities you have at this school.
At the same time, don’t let your studies keep you from enjoying yourself. With good time management there is enough time to get your work done to a high standard without compromising your time for socializing, going out with friends, exploring DC, travelling, etc.
Be organized if you want to travel – I was able to travel a lot because I planned from early on and so found good flight prices, etc and also had time to work my school schedule around it. On that note, take advantage of your amazing position in America and go and explore. Yes, DC has an abundance to see – more than any one person will get through in a lifetime – but, I absolutely loved getting to explore other cities and states I had not before seen and I would highly recommend this decision to travel to anyone!
Although you should travel when you can, don’t forget to leave yourself ample time to explore the amazing city that is DC. It is an absolutely beautiful city filled with fantastic things to see! It also changes dramatically with the weather so make sure to really enjoy your amazing city whilst at GW.
Financially…I would say it costs more than you think it will – or at least that has been the experience of most of the exchange students I have spoken to. To get by on the amount of money that is often recommended is doable but won’t leave much for traveling, eating out, exploring DC, going out with friends, etc. I would suggest bringing – within reason – whatever you can – DC is not a particularly cheap city. As I said, it is totally manageable on the recommended amount but you have to budget well. [Side note – don’t forget to budget for move in/set up costs – I know that a lot of exchange students didn’t do that and it definitely costs a little to set up – so just make sure to factor that expense in].
Be friendly – I know this sounds ridiculous but it’s true. As an example, when I got the email addresses of my roommates before I left home, I sent them each an email introducing myself just to open up a dialogue. Not all of your roommates will necessarily know each other either so they may appreciate this – also, they may be nervous about you and what you are like in the same way that you may be nervous about them – so send a hello, introduce yourself – you are going to be sharing a small space with them for some time!
More than anything, have fun! Enjoy every minute of the experience because it totally flies by! If there is something that isn’t working for you, go about doing what needs to be done to rectify it so that you may enjoy the experience! It’s an absolutely phenomenal experience if you make it that way!

So what is the hardest part of this experience? That’s an easy one – the end. I have spent the last four months feeling like a DC local, enjoying being a student at GW and getting to know my way around/working out grading systems/making friends in classes, travelling around to other cities on the weekends, etc, all of which will be hard to give up. But even harder will be the goodbyes – especially to my exchange group of friends and my roommates! I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of tearing up now, so I better start to wrap it up.

Thank you Hilary, Shawna and the study abroad office for this amazing opportunity! Thank you to my professors and friends in classes who made the academic side of my time here so enjoyable! Thank you to my amazing group of friends who I have made here for absolutely making my exchange experience! And thank you to the people who read my blogs – I have really enjoyed detailing my time abroad and am so happy to have these logs as a memory of my time here!

So I guess this is my first in a fortnight that will be undoubtedly full of goodbyes. Goodbye blog, it’s been great!

Life recipe: Light, Colors and Ice Cream

AdminApril 20, 2015

By ilakes2015

When you do a balance in your life between stress and fun, both things tend to be better; you do not stress in excess and enjoy the fun even more. I think this week was the last one that gave me the possibility of saying that. My following weeks would be all about essays, presentations and final exams so there would definitely not be any balance. Anyway, last week started and ended with special activities that I’m really happy I experienced. Not being all of those happy, I could also appreciate and make the most of it.

It was raining when I woke up on Tuesday morning but nothing was going to keep me from enjoying the “free cone day” at Ben and Jerry’s. After one of my classes in the afternoon, I decided that I wanted to walk to the store at Georgetown but it was going to be more fun if someone joined me. After a contagious laugh of my roommate, I decided that I needed to ask someone as crazy as me to walk 25minutes under the rain for some ice cream (that I already had in my fridge…) But there is no better feeling than getting something for free, is it?

A “when and where are we meeting?” after my “it’s a beautiful day for free ice cream” message, gave me the smile I was looking for. My friend Dion is my partner in all these spontaneous and great activities. The Opera, dancing marathons and walks at night or even under the rain for a cone of ice cream (two actually). His place was on my way to the store so I picked him up. When we finally got there, the line was not too long but the problem was the flavor. How could I choose the only flavor that would justify my time spent in some free ice cream? I didn’t know any of the flavors there except for the traditional ones (but you don’t ask for a normal flavor in Ben and Jerry’s) The rush, the people behind me, the weird names of the ice creams and the employee waiting for me to decide “umm Chocolate Fudge Brownie please” There. The simplest flavor in the store. There was nothing confusing in that name, but really? Chocolate? But there is no wrong choice when we talk about ice cream. Dion and I left the store as happy as the two kids in front of us. We decided to go for a walk around Georgetown while we ate our cones and we waited for my friend Vicky at the same time. It wasn’t raining anymore and we were having a really nice talk that took us to the end of the neighborhood, to GW’s rivals, to Georgetown University. Neither of us went there before and even with the grey sky it looked fantastic. Gothic, old, European, religious and too Harry Potter I must say. We went for a walk around the parks that surround the University until we got lost. The way back was a funny experience because we tried to follow our instinct. It did work but it took longer than it should. On our way back we went to the store for our second cone of ice cream and this time I had to choose wisely. The line was longer but my friend Vicky was there with another friend also named Dion. She started telling me what was The Tonight Dough flavor and before she could finish I said “that one!” This time I was choosing a “Caramel & Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Cookie Swirls & Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough” but what I didn’t know (because I didn’t let her finish) was that the ice cream also had Peanut Butter Cookie. And I hate peanut butter. I ate some of it and then gave it away also because I was full. The whole afternoon was great, the ice creams tasted really good and I had a great time with my friends. Like I red in one sign a few days after “You can’t buy HAPPINESS but you can buy ice cream and that’s kind of the SAME thing”

Thursday was a really important day for the Jewish community. I would like to say for the rest of the world as well but unfortunately I can’t. On Thursday we commemorated the victims of the Nazis, we remembered the 6 million Jews that were tortured until their last breathe, we remember to not let it happen again. That day I attended two important events that left new ideas in my mind. Even if I studied history and the Holocaust since I was a little kid, I still heard something that I never thought about before. Six Million. How do we measure 6 million of anything? Students of GW organized the first event and I got the chance to meet one of the survivors of the horror. Gideon Frieder used to be a professor at GW and he shared with all of us some of the things he went through at that time. Of course his history was not a pleasure to hear even if it was a pleasure to have the opportunity of listening at it first hand. I did hear him talk about the six million and the way he tried to explain us how much that represented shocked me in a different way. “Imagine that each of the victims come to this meeting right now to say their names and how they died in a minute”, he said. “That each person has only one minute to talk and right after that they vanish and other victim follows. Do you know how much time do we need until the last victim shows up? 2? 3 years maybe?” Eleven. Eleven years without stopping to listen to the 6 million victims of the Holocaust. And they weren’t the only victims they were only Jews. How much time would we need to listen to all of them? I always tried to measure 6 million. I guess I may have found the same answer a few years ago but never replaced a minute with a name. It was always something abstract (is still is, is not easy to determine) but the idea of not moving myself from that chair not even for water and still needing 11 years to just listen to names, not stories or feelings, just names made me think about it in a completely different way.

The second event was in the Red Cross building. The room was full of pictures of the camps or newspapers of that time and there were people from the state department and relatives of a few survivors. A speech of a Rabbi, a video with reflections and legacies from 90 years old survivors, a panel discussion and candle lighting ceremony. This event was different and also touching. Remember. Remember to not let this happen again. Yom Hashoah. We Remember and Never forget.

My week ended with a happiest feeling. On Sunday afternoon I went to the event organized by the GW Hindu Students Association “HAS Holi 2015” This festival of colors that celebrates life gave me the energy I was looking for to start my last two weeks at this University. The idea of the event is to have fun with friends, listen to music and get covered by colors celebrating love and “the power of love to bring all good things into our lives. It is held in early spring and signifies new life, new growth, new beginnings and reminds us to color our life with love, faith, and a generous spirit.” That’s exactly how I felt. I went with my friend Christian and we met there a lot of new people, we laughed and enjoyed each minute of it. It was a nice way to end the weekend even though that after one hour bath, my hair is still pink. But I don’t mind. It will make me remember about the fun and energy I felt. It’ll make me remember that even though we are leaving in three weeks, a new beginning would come after and what’s most important, that the last couple of months I lived, I colored, my life with too much love.

The Blossoms are in Bloom!

AdminApril 16, 2015

By carlyfisher4

Spring really is a magical time to be in DC! The whole city seemingly glows in the sun and the green grass is finally uncovered from beneath the blanket of snow that seemed to hide it since I arrived in January. Even the fact that the fountains at the WWII memorial are on now totally changes the appearance of the national mall. All of these factors and more contribute to what really is a stunning picture-perfect city right at your doorstep whilst here at GW. And whilst all these things make the city that much more special, really it is not why spring-time in DC is famous nationwide.

For those who do not yet know (and if you come in the spring semester you will quickly find out as the National Mall goes from being a bit of a ghost town in the winter to an area buzzing with activity and tourists in the Spring), this season seemingly calls on a mass migration to the nation’s capital. The main star of the attraction are the cherry blossoms that dominate the area with beautiful pink leaves everywhere. Seeing these cherry blossoms is a treat as they are only perfectly in bloom for about a week a year, so you really have to make sure not to miss them!

The Cherry Blossom trees were a gift from the Japanese to DC in 1912 and it was Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo who proudly gifted them. Since then, late March/early April has become known as the time of the National Cherry Blossom Festival which I believe has gradually grown into the event that it is today.

Having been away for a week I was worried about the prospect of maybe missing the Cherry Blossoms and having seen them before on a trip to Japan, I knew that missing them and their beauty would be a big loss. Apparently, the cherry blossoms heard my concerns and waited for me to return before blooming into full glory. Thank you cherry blossoms!

So after a red eye flight and no sleep all night, I got in from the airport, dumped by bags and met up with my friends to head straight on down to Constitution Avenue to get a good spot along the Cherry Blossom Parade route – a large parade that goes nearly all the way down Constitution Ave to mark the closing of the festival. Because of the really cold winter we had, the closing ceremony seemed somewhat premature because it was only then that the blossoms bloomed but never mind, the thought was there. We got a spot right opposite the Washington Monument and had the White House directly behind us – couldn’t have been in a more picture-perfect/’guess what we are in DC’ position if we tried! We were very lucky because the sun was out to play that day and the weather was amazing and warm – ahhh, I like this DC!

The parade itself was 2 hours long and was pretty interesting – there were a number of marching bands, a series of different middle and high school groups and activity clubs that showed off their skills including unicycling, girl scouts, etc, some artists including Estelle who performed, various military marching troops, etc. It was a nice parade and we all enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed watching the crowd cheer and praise their military whenever the parade showcased different men and women in service, which is systematically did throughout – it is fantastic that there is such pride in and support of people who dedicate so much.

After the parade we decided to take a walk down to the Tidal Basin to have a look at the cherry blossoms and snap that cliché yet gorgeous photo of the Cherry Blossoms in front of the Jefferson. It was absolutely stunning down there although it was much to crowded as every tourist and their dog seemed to have moved from the parade trail down to the Tidal Basin with us – we did expect this to happen, but nonetheless. We decided to leave the area after that return during the week when hopefully the crowds had died down a bit.

And that we did – I went back on Monday morning with two of my friends who are also exchange students to go for a nice stroll along the mall and back to the Tidal Basin. The crowds were definitely less which was fantastic and we took total opportunity to snap a few more photos with the blossoms.

The Cherry Blossom excitement is infectious here though and so despite surely having had my time with the trees, when the sun came back out on Wednesday 6 of the exchange students and I made our way down to the Tidal Basin again but this time to go paddle boating. It was a lot of fun! We got two four seater paddle boats between us, put some music on full blast on our phones and tried to keep the two boats as close together as possible whilst paddling around the basin checking out all of the monuments. What a gorgeous view! For anyone coming here in the Spring, I would definitely recommend this as an activity that should be done! And good luck switching drivers – we were so impressed with ourselves when we didn’t fall in!

All in all, to future Spring students, get excited! DC is absolutely stunning – it was in the winter too but now it is as if there is boundless energy and life seeping from the monuments and amazing nature around. I’m sure I say this every week but wow – what a city! Cant believe our time here is slowly approaching its conclusion – leaving is going to be very very difficult! But anyway, there are a couple weeks still before that becomes of concern.

And so, until next time…

A few weeks earlier

AdminApril 14, 2015

By ilakes2015

This is not the way I expected this week’s post to be. But sometimes your idea just change for some special occurrence and its necessary to use the space you have to express yourself while you can.

This week I got the chance to attend a Baseball game with my friends, to see the famous Mets live and eat some hot dog and beer like in the movies. This weekend I also attend the famous National Cherry Blossom festival and parade where all this fantastic performances took place. School bands, cheerleaders, Miss America, martial arts performances, the gigantic flowers and kids using one-wheel bikes. Most of those impressed me so much that together with the wonderful weather gave me this feeling of why DC was so marvelous. The whole city was outside wearing costumes (or not), enjoying the parade and taking pictures all the time. The million people were finally enjoying their walks around the monuments instead of escaping from the snow or cold weather like the last couple of months. Both events let me enjoy the American life and spend time with my friends while learning from these traditions. Even though I found special characteristics on each that took my attention, nothing made me open my eyes that much like what happened at the end of the week.

The thing that shocked me the most happened Sunday evening when after a really long day of study, movies with friends and dinner with my brother, I came back home to discover that half of my room was now, empty. My roommate just moved out and the only reaction that my body had was tears. Not because I was going to miss her because she is still going to spend time with me, but because the idea of leaving reminded me that I am three weeks away of doing exactly the same that she did. The only difference is that for me, leaving means “forever”. I’m exactly 3 weeks away from packing all my things that would have to fit in two suitcases (no idea how am I going to do that) and go back home. I know I won’t be back the same way I came, not only for the uncountable people that touched my heart and I would definitely miss but also for all the adventures and experiences from which I learned while leaving here. This indescribable feeling that I have right now, the mix of joy and sadness, the pain in my head and the happiness in my heart, my throat closing but my soul more brighter than ever also reminded me the reason I came here for. What I expected this trip to be like and how it finally was (pretty similar I must say). But Is not that I didn’t know that the day were the experience reach its end was eventually going to come. Or that I haven’t left people or a place where I’m comfortable in before, it’s just the desire of being here at GW longer.

I have never been good for goodbyes.

After 3 months I assumed as normal some things that apparently, were not. My kitchen utensils, my bathroom curtains, the flag on the living room and even half of a closet. If anyone ever tells you that moving out and leaving things behind is easy, don’t believe it. They would be absolutely lying. Yes, everyone survives but it's just not the best feeling.

There are people that understands that life is this way, that you run into persons that would mean something, that you would learn only from some of them and that just a few would stay for a while but no one would stay "forever". There are people that comprehend that you would see again only the people you care about and for the rest of them, well, there would always be Facebook. There are people that believe in destiny and that you would see someone again if it’s written. There are people that understand that knowing you means taking something from you at the same time that they are giving you something from them. And I believe that that’s the way they stay forever.

I knew a lot of people here in DC. I shared most of my adventures, nightclubs, study nights, walks around campus, museums, lunch or dinner time, shopping and even taxi rides with persons that shared with me who they are and let me share with them who I am. They took something from me and I have something from them (mostly their pictures.. :)). I don’t regret meeting people that I am going to miss and I don’t regret meeting persons that became my friends. I don’t regret at all but now? Now I just want to hug them as much as possible. I got the chance to know them and I may or may not see them again. The good part? I have them in my heart FOREVER.

Touring GWU

AdminApril 6, 2015

By carlyfisher4

As I mentioned at the end of my last blog, this week I was expecting a visitor My mum flew in from Australia on Monday night which was really exciting! I decided that this week’s blog would be a written guide of the tour I gave to her so that you can have a bit of a sense of what you are arriving into – a ‘know before you go’ in a sense from a fellow exchange student.

On Tuesday morning we did a lap of campus as I was eager to show her as much as possible – so I’m going to try and describe my walking tour and give you as much information on campus as I can. You will be taken on a campus tour during Orientation Week but it’s a lot to take in in one hit and for Spring Semester students, you will be walking through the snow most likely so if you are anything like me, concentrating and freezing are not two activities you will be able to do simultaneously.

We entered campus from Georgetown so our town begins up near City Hall – this is one of the on-campus accommodation blocks that you may be placed in to live. Whilst all dorms are different, I believe city hall has a number of 2 person share rooms and each have a living room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen (or at least the apartments that I’ve seen do). City Hall is definitely in a good position – it’s the closest building to Georgetown and is just behind the metro station and Wholefoods area – but it is a bit older than the other buildings.

Moving on to Wholefoods and the surrounding restaurants – this is a well-frequented area for all students as it’s the spot for groceries and take away food. GW doesn’t have a dining hall or meal plan (there is a dining hall area but really only freshmen go there from what I understand – its called J-Street and it’s in the Marvin Centre – we will get to that in a minute). So, I think I speak for a lot of GW students when I say that Wholefoods essentially replaces a dining hall and becomes a very handy source of food when you cannot be bothered to cook.

I could be wrong but I don’t think that any of the international students are in an apartment without a kitchen so there is definitely always the option to cook and prepare food – this will definitely be the most budget friendly option! However, for those times you don’t want to cook – around Wholefoods you will find:
- Devon and Blakely – Soup and sandwiches
- Circa – Nice restaurant with pretty good food
- Roti – Mediterranean style food
- Sweet green – Salads
- Beefsteak – Salads/Vegetarian food
- Wholefoods – Groceries, ready-to-go food, sushi, pizza, etc
Around the back of the block with all of this on it is also a burger place in case that tickles your fancy more.

Continuing on from that area – to your right you will see the beginnings of the major classroom buildings. To give an idea of where each of the buildings is in writing is not going to be an interesting read so I’m going to leave the topic of classrooms by saying, they’re easy to find and everyone is friendly so will happily point you in the right direction. The only thing that can be a bit tricky is that what looks like one building has multiple names depending on the entrance – again, just ask – someone will help you undoubtably. Majority of the classrooms are within the main blocks of campus too so it’s not too challenging. The K street rooms are a bit beyond the square that GW fits within, as is the G street block. I have a class in G Street and I think that it would be a good piece of advice to suggest that if possible, if you are taking a class in this building, try and leave yourself time between classes to get there – I have 10 mintues to get from Phillips (which is opposite Wholefoods) to G street and even though its only a few blocks, my first class rarely lets out exactly on time making the walk a very quick one! Just something to be mindful of if you can. Also, when they say on the schedule that you need to leave half an hour between classes on main campus and on the Vern, they are not exaggerating. You will need to take the free shuttle bus (known on campus as the VEX) and it is a fair distance – this is important to note as otherwise you will miss the beginning of every class!

Okay, back on my walking tour…so from Wholefoods, when you turn right and head down past the Phillips building, and then left again, you will find yourself across the road from Gelman Starbucks – rumor has it that this Starbucks is the second most frequented in America. Whether or not this is true, I’m not too sure, but there is always a long line in there irrespective of the time of day.

Some tips:

1. The line moves pretty quickly so if you have the time, you will make it to the front eventually .

2. NEVER try go to Starbucks on the hour or half hour that a class ends – try and go at obscure times – this is a good rule for most food places on campus. By going 15 minutes earlier, you will save yourself HEAPS of time in lines!

3. The food court in the Marvin Centre has some coffee shops – one even sells starbucks blend coffee so if you can’t wait at Gelman Starbucks, cross the road and head in there.

4. There is another Starbucks on E Street next to the E street dorms and near the Elliott School – there is often a line there too but it’s a lot more reasonable than the one at Gelman!

Who would have thought getting your morning coffee could be such an art!

So, as I mentioned across the road and up a little bit is the Marvin Centre. This is a building you will get to know well during Orientation so I wont go into too much detail, but basically, all the resources, etc that you need are in this one building. Amongst a bunch of other things some of things you can do at the Marvin Centre (beyond getting food and coffee) are:   - Go to the doctor  - Get your GWorld card  - Put money on your GWorld card (you can do this at multiple places on campus though) - Pay outstanding fees  - Buy all your GW merchandise  - Visit the Study Abroad office  - Find the ballrooms (there are often events held here like careers expos, club showcases, etc)

And more. Basically the only things that you need as an international student that aren’t in this building are:
- The key depot
- The post/mail centre
- The ISO which is the International Office where you need to check in (visa requirement – don’t worry, you will do this in Orientation Week) and where you need to get your visa signed if you want to travel out of America (this includes Canada and Mexico – cant tell you how many times I have heard that question asked!) suggestion: take this to be signed by the ISO in Week 1 of your time at GW – you will thank yourself later when you have forgotten all about it and have to rush to get it done – they take 10 days to do it so leave yourself time or you will have to cancel your trip.

Okay – so the Marvin Centre is a great resource and is in a really important area of campus. Across the road you will find CVS which is backed by the Village Shopping Centre – a small centre with some food venues, clothes shops, the UPS store, etc. CVS will be your go to store – most things that you need can be purchased at CVS.

We are back tracking here, past some great sculptures – for example Martha (the hippo) – I’m going to leave the hippo stories at that and challenge you to try and work out the significance of the hippo for yourself – and many many heads of George Washington sporadically found around campus. So, as we walk back past the side of the Marvin Centre, back towards Starbucks, you will find one of the entrances into Kogan Plaza which is just an open area that has the back of the Lisner Auditorium, the entrance to Gelman (the library), a nice courtyard and the creepiest statue of George Washington known to man. There is a life-like sculpture on a bench that, when you leave the library in the dark late at night, will undoubtedly give you a heart attack every single time. The Gelman library is obviously another good resource – it has plenty of study space when your dorm is too noisy, printers, computers, books, etc – everything you expect to find in a library. The staff are really friendly and are always more than happy to help if you cant find something – which you likely wont be able to because the books are everywhere! Not in a chaotic sense, just in the sheer volume of them!

Behind the library is Duques – one of the big classroom buildings, which is backed onto by Funger – the business school. I am mentioning this school in particular because the VEX goes from out the front of Fungar so if you have classes or accommodation on the Mount Vernon campus, this will be an important stop to you. Opposite from there is the GW Deli which has delicious bagels but also often has an insanely long line – again, don’t go just as classes let out unless you really enjoy standing in lines.

At the end of the street where the Deli is, is Tonic – a restaurant that is popular amongst students because of their tater tots (potato gems). They have Happy Hour (which seems to be nearly as popular as brunch in DC – everyone goes out for Brunch or Happy Hour) where they have $4 tots – this seems to attract a lot of people and substantial lines. They are delicious though.

As we continue our walk towards E Street (which will be our final destination), you will pass the mail centre (one block down and to the left from Tonic) which is where all your packages will come in, and on top of that is the key depot – which is where you will get your keys (not if you live in E Street as your GWorld card is your key) and your mail box codes as your letters will still arrive to your building. Next door is Carvings which has burgers, fries, mozerella sticks, sandwiches, breakfast, etc – it’s open late at night making it a popular stop for lots of students!

Finally, as you turn right at the end of the street and walk back the old main building (where the ISO is), subway and then the Starbucks on the corner, you have reached E Street! This is another dorm that has many exchange students in it this semester – it’s where I live – and despite being a little further down from the rest, is a much newer and in my opinion nicer building. We are next door to the Elliott School too for students taking international relations, etc. I skipped talking about the other two buildings that you will mainly find exchange students in because we didn’t take that road – But Shenkmen (formerly Ivory – just so that you don’t get confused when people still call it Ivory) and Amsterdam are also nice and are in good locations. Near Shenkmen is also the sport centre where you will go to watch basketball games, etc. And the HellWell (Health and Wellness Centre is up in that area too).

Final note – up 20th Street – the street that E Street dorms corner, if you walk up toward to the Village shops (where CVS is on the other side) you will find Founding Farmers – personal favorite for brunch and lunch – so delicious! But I will do another blog about DC recommendations for when you get here .

I hope that this has been in some way helpful in giving you a bit of a blue print on what to expect when you get here and where to find particular things. As I mentioned, everyone is very friendly and will happily point you in the right direction. The nice thing about the GW campus is that it is very easy to get to know – you may feel lost for the first week but you will definitely get the hang of it after that!

I wanted to take some more photos but I am currently in Vegas for the weekend with my mum and so whilst there are some photos here for you, I will definitely try and post some more later on.

And so, as always, until next time…

Why is this week different from any other week?

AdminApril 6, 2015

By ilakes2015

The first weekend of April reunites families and communities all over the world. Doesn’t matter if you celebrate Eastern or Pesach, last weekend most of us shared a nice meal with our families.

Back home, an almost in every country, the first two nights of Passover are the ones we tend to get together with family and friends to celebrate the freedom of our people. Our traditions and costumes remain in almost every home I know but some differences are easily distinguished. This was the first time I spent Passover without my parents or first cousins, and of course not in Argentina, but I must say it had it’s own charming characteristics.

On Friday evening, my brother and I decided to attend the Seder of the Hillel community that was taking place in Marvin Center. After a last minute call, and if adding two persons to a dinner were too easy, they openly accepted our request of joining them for the first night of Passover. When we finally arrived, some faces were too familiar and people that I share classes with received me with a warm Jag Sameaj (Happy Holiday) Before the seder began, we sat in a table with 5 different people that lately that night were going to became our friends. The Rabbi made the whole Seder an interesting and not boring celebration. Trying to analyze some topics that were also related to modern times plus the melodies sang or recited by each table (we were almost 100 people) made the ceremony absolutely pleasant. After some laughs, good food and religious traditions, my first day without flour made me go to sleep with a huge smile in my face.

The next day my brother and I travelled to my relative’s house near Gaithersburg. This second dinner was not only special because I was with family but also because I got the chance to spend it with the Patriarch of my family, the one that would not hesitate in explaining to me the history and complicated family tree that I have. As if everything happened yesterday, he can totally remember every dialog, trip and connection that started with his grandmother and my great great-grandfather. After listening to him and having just the idea of every problem that my ancestors had to overcome, makes me realize how lucky we are of having the power of communication on our side.

Apart from that, another wonderful thing made me happy that night; my aunt, who is an artist, did a painting of me and gave it to me as a present. I was not the youngest one and I didn’t look for the Afikoman (another tradition we have) but I was at that point the kid that received a gift. I couldn’t be happier, it was a fantastic surprise and I can’t wait to have the fantastic painting in my room.

The food that my cousin prepared was also fantastic and I was finally eating this typical Jewish homemade food that made me feel at home. We did the brajot, sang some of our traditional songs and read the interpretation of each of those. Even if we were a modern family that read the Hagada from an Ipad, we remembered the most important question/answer of this special festivity: Why is this night different from any other night? Freedom, that is what we celebrate this week. Freedom.

The night ended with a nice talk about each other’s near future and recent changes in our lives, with the dog’s ability to lock herself inside a room and the invitation to meet again the following week.

Last Saturday I also went to Spring Fling with my friends. Free tickets for a show, The Mechanic Shark, Sno-Kones, stickers and shiny tattoos were some of the attractions of that day. This festival organized by members of the University was not only an afternoon full of games and prizes but also full of music, famous DJ’s and food; perfect to celebrate with friends. The U Yard was surrounded of students playing the roulette or even uploading selfies to win special gifts. In my case, implied a Domino’s large pizza that I’ll happily eat to break my no-flour week. Also, Saturday was a really warm day that reminded us the main reason why we where there: Spring. I believe most people was not as happy to receive the flowers, the green grass or the allergies as much as they were of saying goodbye to the snow, the storm and the freezing cold weather. If you think it that way, then yes, celebrate the change of seasons with your friends has never been better.

This huge event ended with a beautiful sunset and the feeling and desire to repeat that day one more time.

Right Moment, Right Place

AdminMarch 31, 2015

By ilakes2015

Once again, last week turned to be a fantastic exhausted weird week. With an average of five hours of sleep, the balance between obligations and entertainment transformed my week in one that I would never forget.

Problem Sets, papers, group meetings and two midterms. Until Thursday my life was only numbers, readings and writings but a particular moment was about to change my mood for the rest of the week.

On Monday morning one of my friends back home sent me an article about the Argentinian Soccer Team followed with a “Tell Messi that I love him”. Apparently, that weekend Argentina was going to play against El Salvador here in Washington. My friends convinced that my priority in life had to be “meet the Players!” insisted that I had to stop studying or attending classes just to go to the Hotel or find out where they were practicing to achieve the goal. To be honest, if I hadn’t had two exams on Thursday, I would have probably gone to Georgetown to see them play.

And even though I believed that I had the same possibilities of meeting them than any other person, I was absolutely mad that I couldn’t even try to change that. I’m not like the rest of the fans here; I’m an Argentinian that cares about the team not only about Messi. My anger increased when I realized that the Hotel where they were staying was only five blocks away from our campus. I knew they were so close and at the same time I couldn’t do anything. My two exams and papers were my real priority. I had class so I finally drop it when I realized that I’ve been living four blocks away from The White House for almost three months and I never got the chance to see Obama, so why was I pretending that if I hadn’t have the exams I would have had coffee with Messi? (No, I’m not saying Messi and Obama are equals but their popularity around the world is pretty similar)

That night I had a meeting with my GW Women in Business group where we discuss a few relevant issues for the annual conference that was going to take place on campus that Saturday. It was around 9pm and after a really long day, I was finally walking back home when I run into two guys that I glanced at their jackets by chance and I recognize the logo; it was the Argentinian AFA logo. I didn’t realize but I turned around in a weird way that made the two guys stop running and look at me. A Hi followed by my “Hola” started the conversation that was going to change my week completely. Damian and Juan, asked a few questions about GW, DC and my experience here so far while I asked about the trips and the training until we concluded that we were all having a really nice time, that we were all really blessed people. Our 20 minutes conversation in the street ended with a warm “it was really nice to meet you and also you should come to the game” There. My chances of meeting the players, the chances that an Argentinian in DC could possibly have of getting tickets to a game, the difference between me and any other person in the world was a matter of time and place. I walked by the right street, at the right moment, JUST THAT. After a few conversations, I finally went to the Ritz Carlton Hotel to pick up my two free tickets. When I got there a lot of fans were surrounding the street. At that time the team was about to leave to train in the field and apparently I was not the only one that knew that. After telling two security guards that I had tickets on my name waiting for me in the lobby, they let me in. Even if my name was misspelled, the idea of receiving and envelop with the AFA logo addressed to me was something I can’t even describe. After the lady gave me my packet and like if she knew the way I got my tickets, a nice “Lucky you, have fun in the game” draw a smile in my face on my way out. I had two tickets in my hands and the question was “Who wants to go with me?” I realized that my brother was coming back to DC by the time of the game. He took me to see Ginobili, I thought it was fair to take him to see Messi.

On Saturday afternoon, I met my brother next to the metro station that was going to take us to the FedEx Field. It was absolutely cold but the energy of the people while I was arriving made me forget about it. My seats were also fantastic even though everyone around me was cheering for the rival team. I realized that the entrance of the players to the field was right next to me so I got the chance to see them pretty well. After 40 minutes the game finally started with the hymn of The US followed with the Argentinian’s one and then El Salvador’s hymn. This time Messi didn’t play and some fans were really disappointed and even if I wanted to see him play, I also had Higuain, Di Maria and Lavezzi so there was no real complain. The score was 2-0 in our favor and even if I didn’t really have someone around to scream it, except from my brother, I celebrate it and hoped not to be killed.

When I got back to Foggy Bottom I had dinner with some relatives that came from Canada and then we went to the Kennedy Center to hear a Jazz concert. The differences between the game and the theater were absolutely recognizable; at first was kind of shocking to jump right to this type of event but the play was so relaxing and nice that that I finally enjoyed it as much as the game. That night, before going to sleep, I tried to remember every feeling. I had lived two fantastic experiences in the same day; watch my home country team play soccer and hear one of the best concerts of Jazz I’ve ever heard. Two different scenarios, both perfect. I ended not only absolutely exhausted, like if I had the performances, but also with one of my biggest smiles. I was wrong, I didn’t have the same probabilities of meeting my temporary neighbors than the rest of the world. Who knows? Maybe I’ll run into Obama next time. Spring Time is coming and everything can happen, right?

Back to NYC…and my meeting with Helen Mirren

AdminMarch 30, 2015

By carlyfisher4

As always, this week was another crazy busy one as I prepared for assessments, exams…and a weekend trip to New York (again). Post-Spring Break the workload has definitely picked up again as many of the courses I am taking have approaching deadlines and with a few weekend trips coming up, I certainly am doing my best to get ahead on my work.

"I think that an important piece of advice that I would give to exchange students on their way here is to not let yourself drop the ball on all your assignments, etc in lieu of trips."

Whilst I think that it is really important to go and take advantage of being in such a central location and having the opportunity to go and see as much of America as is possible, in the end, if you get behind on the work it is only going to prohibit you from doing something else you may really want to do as you will have to catch up. In saying that, if you can get ahead on some things and leave others to do as they are due, you should find that you have plenty of time to do well in your classes AND really explore DC, as well as more of America. I think that whilst on exchange this is probably the toughest thing to balance in terms of time management but it really is so worth it because this country has so many awesome places to visit and explore!

Whilst this week I didn’t have as much time to sight-see DC (well not since the White House visit that I wrote about last week at least), I did make enough time for myself to squeeze in a New York trip this weekend - which is where I am writing to you from now!

Although I came to New York at the beginning of last month with two of the other exchange students, as a mad theater lover, another trip was totally required (and I’m coming back another couple times before leaving the US as well), especially because one of my closest friends lives in the city.

Despite my mantra being to try something new each week, I decided this time to also try and re-visit something old, and so, on Friday, I headed over to W 45^thStreet to the Broadway Dance Centre. Having not taken a dance class in the last few years I decided that it was time to revisit – I used to dance a lot – and challenge myself in a theatre dance class. Coincidentally it was also world theatre day and so it seemed to me to be an appropriate way to celebrate! The class was great – we learnt the original choreography to Chorus Line finale, ‘Once,’ and whilst I had a great time doing it, I certainly felt how out of practice I was. And now, two days later, my body is still feeling the pain! Apparently going straight into jumping high leg kicks ala Rockettes after years without practicing will hurt every muscle in your body – especially the ones that hadn’t been used for too many years! Despite the fact that I can barely walk now (okay, I’m exaggerating – but still…), it was totally worth it and I loved getting back into class – I definitely need to try and do it more often.

That night I tried my something new as I entrusted my friend to pick a restaurant and found myself in an Indian restaurant that looked as though it had come straight off a Bollywood set. The place was hilarious and we had a great night before continuing to explore the village area and then finishing the night with a good How I Met Your Mother Marathon – when in New York, right!

On Saturday morning I went and lined up for rush tickets to see a show (that I will talk about in a minute), which is a great tip to anyone coming to New York who wants to see a Broadway show but is on a budget. Many of the shows here have what they call ‘student rush’ or ‘general rush’ tickets which means that if you line up before the box office opens you can often get a ticket at a significantly discounted price (like $39 often) for the show that day/night. It’s totally worth it if you don’t mind waiting around for like an hour!

My friend and I then began our morning in total New York fashion with some delicious bagels and a subway trip downtown. We went to check out Eataly – because its amazing and delicious! – and then walked from there down to the Chelsea Markets to go for a little wonder. After a long day of walking and having fun, we finished the night at the theatre – the best way to end a night in my opinion! We went to see ‘The Audience’ starring Helen Mirren as the Queen – WOW!!! It was fantastic – a very interesting view into the relationship between the Queen and her Prime Ministers. Helen Mirren is completely mesmerizing – what an unbelievably skilled actress…and we got to meet her at the end of the play! Highlight = being told that we are “beautiful young ladies” by an English Dame/Academy Award Winner/Total Hero!

Sunday morning and we enjoyed a bottomless brunch at a beautiful little restaurant called Vice Versa – so delicious! I then went off to see another show – a new musical called ‘Fun Home’ – which is an incredibly unique show that doesn’t have the ‘glitz and glam’ that is often expected of Broadway shows but that left not a dry eye in the audience by the end of the performance. The intimacy of the theatre (Circle in a Square) made the storyline that much more heart breaking as you felt as though you were in the home of these characters as they come to life changing decisions and revelations about one another. The child actress who played the young version of the main character was a stand out which is always nice to see – she was brilliant!

Sadly, after a How I Met Your Mother marathon with my friend, it was time to say goodbye to her and to the city as my weekend of Broadway fun was at an end. And so now, I’m writing this from my very delayed Amtrak – must admit, I think that the Greyhound was easier in this case!

I’m so excited for the next couple weeks coming up as my mum is flying in from Australia to visit and I cannot wait to see her! There will definitely be a lot of showing her around campus and DC.

So, until next week…

Art: Out of the Museum, Into Our Daily Lives

AdminMarch 30, 2015

By train1110

One of the great things about US, especially in the big cities in the east coast is the museums. Whether they be art, science, history or other areas, the museums in US seem to be very well organized and managed. A well-managed museum can play an important role in the people’s cultural lives, a great means for education and also, an efficient way to provide the place where people can easily spend leisure time in, not to mention being able to meet their cultural necessities.

Among all other types of museums, I like art museums the most. Looking at the different pieces of work done by famous, various artists, it leaves a vast room for interpretation and impression. There is no set answer for how you appreciate the art work; what matters is how you feel and how you interact with the art work that you liked or which inspired you in any way.

During my stay in US, I’ve been to several famous art museums in the US: The Metropolitan Museum in New York, The Museum of Modern Arts in New York, Philadelphia Museum of Art and the American Art Museum Portrait Gallery in DC. I am intending to visit the rest of the Smithsonian museums, especially those of art; National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, African Art Museum, Freer & Sackler Gallery of Art and Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. During the times I spent in DC, I had the excuse of the weather being too cold, but now that the weather is clearly beginning to resemble those of the typical spring weather, I know I would be walking around the various museums of the Smithsonian pretty soon enough.

One of the things I felt while visiting the many museums in different cities in US is that art is never distant from our daily lives. This thought came to my mind quite clearly when I was walking around the Museum of Modern Arts in New York just one or two weeks ago. Whereas ‘art’ stayed in the picture frame of the 2 dimension paintings (usually of oil painting) hanging on the wall, they popped out from the 2 dimension into the 3 dimension real life, into the daily objects that we use. It was as if they were crying out “Even the most mundane repetitious life of yours are not separated from art; Life is art!” One of the interesting, memorable artworks I found in the Museum of Modern Arts was the Kikkoman bottle for soy sauce, made in Japan. Acknowledged for its design which suits the convenience for usage and artistic beauty itself, it was the very bottle of soy sauce that I still am keeping in my dorm room kitchen drawer.

Inspired by all these artworks that are so easy to go and appreciate in US, including DC, and in our daily lives, as suggested by the modern art works, one of my friend and I began to start drawing for our pastime. Whether you have a talent in drawing or not does not seem to matter that much; a well-drawn painting does not necessarily mean you have to actually ‘draw’ well – an impressive delivery of your thoughts and feelings into the paper or canvas seems to be what really matters. It has only been 2 weeks since I started drawing, yet it seems a very good hobby to have. I am especially looking forward to the cherry blossoms to bloom in the DC, and when that time comes I would dash out from my dorm to the streets and all sorts of fine places in DC with my paper, pencil and a set of my oil pastels.

Visiting our Neighbours

AdminMarch 23, 2015

By carlyfisher4

As we continue to get to know DC better and better, the exchange office decided it was about time that we got to know our neighbors. Ordinarily this may not seem like the most exciting idea, but when you go to GW and your neighbors live at THE WHITE HOUSE, yeah, the excitement builds!

This Saturday, as one of the activities organized for the exchange student group (of which there are a few scattered throughout the semester), we went on the tour inside the White House – something that has definitely been on my bucket list for a while and an event I was very excited about! Simply getting to go beyond the gates and take photos of the building was awesome!

Inside the tour is self-guided allowing you to move at your own pace throughout the corridors and rooms. Whilst only a small number of rooms are available for public viewing, the rooms do not disappoint as they are elegantly decorated in a timeless fashion with reminders in every corner of the importance of the house in which you are standing. From the details of the eagle on every chair in a room, to the larger-than-life portraits of American presidents through history, there is certainly no questioning the historical value and significance of each item within each room.

The rooms that you can walk through (as opposed to the ones you can only see from the doorways) are certainly highlights and as a history buff, I couldn’t help but imagine what, and who for that matter, these walls have seen. We went into the east room – the room where both Lincoln and Kennedy’s bodies lay following their assassinations – and which is decorated in gold with multiple elaborate chandeliers. The Green, Blue and Red rooms, all now, I believe, used to entertain guests, were also rooms that we got to go into and learn the history of – each one decorated by and used for a different purpose by each president.

At the conclusion of the tour we were able to take some photos before having to leave which was really cool! I have included some here:

Getting into the White House is certainly no easy task as it takes months often to get approved if you are an international student as you normally have to apply through your embassy, etc. It was awesome getting to go in and having it all organized by the exchange office here at GW – both because, I mean, we went into the White House – how cool is that! And also because it meant that we all got to go together which was an added bonus.

So meeting your neighbors at home may not be the most thrilling of tasks, but at GW…well, its something that I would highly recommend!

The day before our White House adventure, I continued my exploring of DC by visiting the Newseum with Katie – an English exchange student. The Newseum is unbelievable! From the beginning of the suggested path, immediately you are confronted with both pieces of history and an indication of the importance of the media and of journalism within history. ‘Pieces’ is actually a perfect word to explain this first exhibit as in the basement of the Newseum are parts of the Berlin Wall – literal pieces of history. Also on the basement level was an exhibit on Baby Boomers that we enjoyed, and an entire room devoted to the FBI which was really really interesting and probably my favorite individual exhibition we saw. I saw a number of people skipping that particular room so I have to say that my advice to anyone going to the Newseum is not to skip it!

As we ventured upstairs and ascended the levels gradually, stopping at each exhibit on the way, the enormity of what this museum has successfully achieved certainly weighed on us, especially as we are both interested in both history and journalism as potential future career paths. As we moved higher and higher through up the levels, we became more and more inspired. One quote in particular that I saw on the wall of the exhibit featuring original front page news clippings from some of the most important dates in history, really summed up the museum for me; “journalism is the first rough draft of history.”

As well as the FBI exhibition, some of the other exhibits that I particularly enjoyed included the Pulitzer Prize Photography exhibit, the modern technology exhibit – in particular, the large movie that they play that left the Australian and British audience members (ie. Katie and I) teary as we felt incredibly patriotic for a country that isn’t technically our own (awkward), and the 9/11 room which was my other favorite exhibit of the day.

This particular exhibit was so tastefully done, in my opinion, as the emotional value was in no way contrived but rather left you in a position where you both felt the unbelievable weight of sadness that I find accompanies all 9/11 exhibits and memorials, but simultaneously appreciated, celebrated even, the power of journalism and the wonderful people who risked their lives in order to bring news, images and hope to the world in a time of great sorrow. I learnt of one individual photographer who grabbed his cameras after seeing the plane hit the building and ran to the towers, approaching closer and closer snapping as many photos as possible. Unfortunately, this man perished after the tower collapsed, but a colleague and friend of his was able to retrieve his camera and the images he lost his life trying to share with the world. To see the pictures and an interview with his wife where she explains what it is like to see the last hour and a half of her husband’s life through his eyes was like, was a very powerful experience. There was a quote on the wall in this exhibition that really underpinned the amazing work of journalists to me; “there are three kinds of people who run toward disaster, not away: cops, firemen and reporters.”

Perhaps the most fun we had in the Newseum was in the interactive News Room where we tried our hand at reading from the teleprompters and presenting the news. We each tried two different scripts and had a lot of fun…and realized that we both need a little more practice! To future exchange students - although this is one of the few museums I know of that you pay to enter in DC, I would definitely tell all who visit DC that it is one not to be missed – it’s worth every cent!

As spring is finally beginning and the cold is dying down (YAY!), DC seems to be transforming completely. I cannot wait to continue exploring the city, but with a fresh look as even the monuments I have visited countless times look totally different in their new spring glow.

Until next time…