Our fall 2009 study abroad bloggers are close to finishing their semester abroad. But our spring 2010 bloggers are gearing up to start their academic adventures at the start of the new year. Join them as they share their experiences. Part of the global village, they’re just a few of the more than 40 percent of Bucknell’s students who spend a portion of their undergraduate careers off campus.
- Angela Chouinard ‘11 Italy
- Mary Coyne ‘11 England
- Alexandra Kutner ‘11 Germany
- Lindsay Machen ‘11 Ireland
- Samantha McDonough ‘10 England
- Meredith Schuessler ‘11 Morocco
- Kelsey Wiggin ‘11 Australia
November 17th, 2009
As it stands today, I’ve spent two and a half months in Morocco. I feel as if I’ve spent a long enough period of time here to share some of what, in my opinion, are the more interesting cultural aspects of this country. There are certainly a number of things here that would make any American do a double take. After all darling, we sure aren’t in Kansas anymore.
Fast food:
-McDonalds is not exactly a fast-food joint. It’s the chic, expensive hot date location! Here, you’ll find the girls dolled up in their best sparkly djellaba robes, probably out with their [...]
Continue reading Culture Shock »
November 13th, 2009
When the moon hits your eye … like a big pizza pie, that’s amore. Italy was wonderful! Although it’s almost three weeks ago now, I had such a wonderful visit to the land of carbs. The food lived up to every expectation, although I have to say I’ve tasted some truly authentic Italian cuisine in the United States. We touched down in Bergamo, Italy, a small village outside of the big city of Milan.
Ryanair, the Target of airlines, doesn’t fly directly into the major cities and we decided to take advantage of the small town and spend a night exploring [...]
Continue reading Molto Benny »
November 10th, 2009
Traditional lectures have ended, and my Arabic final exam is on Friday. There’s about a month left of my program. With the end of classes comes a lot of cramming for Arabic (I took a year’s worth in two months, perhaps overly ambitious?) and preparation for my independent research project. I’m working on putting together a research proposal on potable water resources, finding an advisor, and trying to schedule meetings with various national and international offices, community organizations, and translators so that I can begin my research next week. I also have to figure out my living and transportation situations [...]
Continue reading Ruins, Music, Mountains »
November 8th, 2009
For most of the past month that I have not posted, I have been working in the studio 5-7 days a week, with a bit of fun in between. With only ten weeks in the term, I have been trying to accomplish on overtime, at least as much as I can.
One weekend I did travel to Dublin, and thought the city had its charm; the day I took a train to Bray was the highlight of the weekend. I stayed with someone I met through a couch surfing website and he showed me a great time, the best of which [...]
Continue reading The work, Dublin, the work… »
October 30th, 2009
Dzien Dobry! I am back from my world travels and my family has departed. Tomorrow, I enter the real world. What a week it has been! As you know, I left for Poland a week ago Friday and explored Krakow from the top of the Wisla River to the very bottom. Joe, Alexis, and I departed on Friday and, after having to leave our plane and board another on the tarmac due to technical problems (oy vey), we landed safely in a dark, rainy, freezing Krakow. It was 20 degrees when we landed and some of our friends were on [...]
Continue reading I’ve Never Met A Square Latke »
October 28th, 2009
I spent the last week experiencing a different Moroccan lifestyle in the small village of Loutichina, population ~300, tribe of Ouled Brahim. This rural village, located in central Morocco outside of the cities of Khourigba and Boujaad, bases its livelihood primarily on subsistence farming and raising livestock. The majority of the older population here is uneducated and illiterate, although some of the men have second- or sixth-grade educations and can read a little Arabic. Their younger children are now more often going to school in the next towns, which is encouraging.
During this week, my class spent plenty of time at [...]
Continue reading I miss my goats… even though I ate one. »
October 26th, 2009
Oh, how quickly the weeks pass by. Please know that I didn’t post last week a) because I was studying for midterms and b) because I wasn’t doing anything interesting because I was studying for midterms. It’s funny what a full four-day weekend inside the same apartment will do to you though — all the baking cravings that I’d been repressing via fantastic food and adventure came boiling up and I started making food like crazy. Some of the highlights are below:
Once midterms were done, though, I flew out of Florence like a bat on Thursday morning (it was 6 [...]
Continue reading Southern Comfort and some Mom time »
October 26th, 2009
So my workload has definitely begun to pick up. I have essays to write, debates, seminars, lab reports and, in the looming future, final exams. I only have a week of classes left and then I am off to the tropical islands of the Whitsundays during “study week” and finally two and a half weeks of final exams. Two of my finals are 60 percent of my grade, so although I will be travelling during the study week I will be studying during the finals weeks. With the work load picking up, so have activities and celebrations around my residential [...]
Continue reading Busy, busy, busy… usually finding ways to cool down »
October 20th, 2009
…on an ATV! After a two-minute tutorial (given in broken English by an impatient Greek man), Jen and I started up our new ride. This occurred at the bus station, where a large crowd of locals and tourists laughed as we took off in sudden jolts. Despite getting honked at in the villages and accidentally driving with the emergency brake on for about five minutes, we made it home without a scratch. This is one of the most embarrassing pictures I have ever been in, but it’s just too good to pass up.
We also went to the BEST BAKERY IN [...]
Continue reading Jen and Mary Cruise Santorini… »
October 19th, 2009
I know, lame joke…
But really, Greece was incredible! Jen and I spent two days in Athens and four days in Santorini. We swam in the ocean and took photos all over Oia, where we got a great deal on an apartment. Considering it’s the low season, we really lucked out with the weather. Here is the sunset from our porch:
Another shot of Oia from a high point.
Jen on the way to lunch in the Bay of Ammoudi.
At the Parthenon! We trekked through the rain and wind to get there, which is why we look like we’ve been battered by the [...]
Continue reading Greece = Hellas Cool »
October 15th, 2009
I just finished my last final for the semester and finally have a free moment to update you all on what’s been happening here in the rainiest of all countries. I had my ethics final yesterday and just got back from my sociology final, both of which went really well! I was anxious for my sociology final because we had a quiz in that class on Tuesday that was so rough but the exam went much better!
My Aunt and Uncle were here the past 10 days and I cannot explain how nice it was to see family! They went golfing [...]
Continue reading Polski or Polsku, I’m American Either Way »
October 14th, 2009
And we are off to Hamburg! Hamburg, a beautiful port city (second to Germay’s Rotterdam and ninth globally) is said to have more bridges than both Venice and Amsterdam combined. And after walking the entire city, I can say that I find much truth in that fact! The city itself is stunning – immaculate streets with adorned with Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Classical architecture, teeming with bikes, dogs, and yes, children.
Our journey there was a tough one. Up and out the door by seven wandering the brisk Berlin city streets, making numerous transfers to finally make it to Haufbanhof, Berlin’s main train [...]
Continue reading Hamburg-er nicht pommes bitte »
October 13th, 2009
On Friday, we were given the day off for classes, and were told to all head to Casablanca, train tickets already paid. We had a list of suggested things to see, including an organization for women, an organization for street children, a national library, the Hassan II mosque which non-Muslims may visit, and a meeting with a Moroccan woman hiphop artist.
Some girls and I chose to go spend the afternoon at Feminine Solidarity, a well-known association established in the 1980s by a passionate Moroccan woman named Aicha Ech-Channa and two other women. This organization was created to aid single mothers, [...]
Continue reading ثقافة التناقضات A Culture of Contradictions »
October 12th, 2009
I can’t count the number of times I’ve said that over the past week in Venice and Florence! The Bucknell in Londoners arrived home from our Italy trip last night, which was full of sightseeing and feasting on enormous heaps of gelato. We went to some great restaurants, spent a day in Paris, and even took an overnight train.
I wish I could share more right now, but Fall Break starts TODAY and Jen K. and I are off to Greece in a few hours. We’ll spend two nights in Athens, catch a ferry to Santorini, and stay there until Saturday. [...]
Continue reading Ciao, Ragazzi! »
October 10th, 2009
As my patience for twiddling my creative thumbs was waning to the point of madness, I finally was able to start working on a few ideas in the studio. All of my necessary inductions and tutorial meetings have taken place and now it’s go time. Tuesday I met with Melanie Jackson who is in charge of the sculpture program and also my tutor and I had presented a number of different ideas. She encouraged me to begin working on model size versions of some sketches I showed her in order to work out different material options without jumping right into [...]
Continue reading Phew! Let the work begin… »
October 8th, 2009
To begin, I apologize for the delay of this post. I could blame midterms, which are coming, or life changes, like the new baby chicken that is living in my apartment, but I’ll be straight with you. I was busy indulging my inner Napoleon conquering the North. I admit that I went about it a little backwards: last week I brought Paris and thus France to her haughty knees, and then this past weekend I returned to Milan and Venice to make sure everything was secure in the home country.
Okay, enough tyrannical banter. I think it was the pretentious French [...]
Continue reading Conquering the North »
October 8th, 2009
I don’t think there is any town in the world quite like Cairns. It is a hot spot for tourists with a slightly grungy look that lacks your typical gorgeous Aussie beach, but a 20-minute boat ride out into the water and you have hit some of the most magnificent coral reefs.
It seems that the local businesses are broken up into four categories: hostels, tourist information desks, bars and souvenir shops. We stayed in the largest and very well-known hostel, Gilligan’s. It is a 700-room hostel with the biggest bar in town; interestingly, there were several footy (rugby or AFL) teams [...]
Continue reading Why live on the edge when you can jump off? »
October 5th, 2009
So much has happened since the last time I wrote!
I spent one weekend with friends in Tangiers, in the north of Morocco. You can see across the water to Spain on clear days.
We had three days off school for Eid el-Fitr, the celebration at the end of Ramadan. After a grueling, hot, sticky five-hour train ride, we found our little hotel, El Muneria. This is where William Burroughs purportedly wrote Naked Lunch, and Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac used to stay. We had Kerouac’s room, with the beautiful view of the beach.
Last week my class went on a week-long expedition [...]
Continue reading All Over the Map »
October 5th, 2009
My last two weekends have been full of traveling, both alone and with the BiL program. Two weeks ago, I met a friend from home in Ibiza. The beaches were beautiful and the Mediterranean wasn’t too cold for a swim. Unfortunately, my camera died on the first day and I didn’t get to take too many pictures. I forced my friend to take a bunch of photos and I’ll post them here as soon as she gives them to me (hint, Avery!)
Last weekend, the Bucknell in Londoners escaped to Wales! As much as I love living in London, it was [...]
Continue reading Weekend Jaunts »
October 5th, 2009
Ishka baha, Irish for whiskey, comes from Ishka meaning life and baha meaning water or the water of life. Interesting, no? Thought that would be a fun little fact to start out this blog. Three weekends ago we were in Northern Ireland on a field trip organized by my program. We toured Belfast, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Carrick A Rede rope bridge as well as the Giants Causeway. We ended our trip in Derry and returned to Dublin the next day via Drogheda in order to see Saint Oliver Plunkett’s head. Oliver Plunkett was the last Catholic priest executed [...]
Continue reading Northern Exposure »
September 30th, 2009
I feel like this past week has been the week of true adjustment. I spent a rather lonely weekend, feeling a bit isolated and alienated. Between Friday and Monday, most of my days were spent almost completely alone, and I went through most of each day devoid of any actual conversation, except to ask a question or to exchange money. Friday I spent enrolling at the University and chose to stay in for the evening. Saturday I spent the early part of the day at the Tate Modern (the picture on the left was taken form the outside) and had [...]
Continue reading The sun will come out tomorrow… »
September 30th, 2009
Kathleen and I are having a cook off. Actually it’s not quite a Bravo top chef quick fire challenge – we are neither talented enough nor patient enough – but rather a “who can make a more delicious smelling, better tasting meal.”
After living together for what feels like no time at all, yet at the same time forever, we have been sharing a relatively large (for an apartment) kitchen. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is all upon us; we have shopped out grocery stores, fresh produce markets and even shopping centers (yes, fruit can be found next to panty hose) and [...]
Continue reading Top Chef Berlin »
September 30th, 2009
I have survived my first (and probably only) dust storm! As you may know, since it was international news, Sydney had record breaking dust storms last week, which travelled up to my lovely Brisbane. During a dust storm the wind blows the dust from the desert-like central country to the coast. The skies were red and hazy, and there was a constant dirty taste in my mouth. The storm in Brisbane was less intense than the one in Sydney, so there weren’t as many negative effects. In fact, other than eating dust with my lunch, it didn’t really alter my [...]
Continue reading Fish and chips with a side of dust… and MID-SEMESTER BREAK »
September 30th, 2009
Now that the Jewish holidays are upon us, I felt it imperative to attempt to observe the holiday season, especially because I am in Berlin. So I followed my fellow tribesmen, well suited wearing crocks (no leather allowed on the holidays – I know, crocks are an odd choice, but thankfully no giblets were present) with yamakas on head, I journeyed with a fellow classmate to the local temple. The streets were blocked with security – unfortunately due to not only Germany’s history but the highly Muslim area where I reside – we wove our way to the Orthodox temple.
The [...]
Continue reading Are you there God? It’s me, Alexandra »
September 27th, 2009
Hello all!
I promised a picture blog and now I’m delivering. Here is a collection of my favorite pictures from Glendalough, Galway and Ennis, and Northern Ireland! Hope you enjoy! I apologize in advance for the rather odd formatting of this post – the application I use doesn’t allow for much manual manipulation. My next post will be all about Northern Ireland! What an experience! Hope the States are treating you well and Happy Belated Arthur Guinness day! I hope everyone cheered at 6 p.m.!
Continue reading To Arthur! »
September 24th, 2009
The thought of a home stay was honestly a bit frightening for me. This is a concept that seems normal and exciting for a bunch of 20 yearolds who still miss their parents and are far away from home, hoping to have that “family” feeling again. For a woman who is almost 30, the idea of being an adopted “child” in an unfamiliar family (whose age I imagine close to my own) just felt annoying. As it turns out, however, my fears were misplaced, and my home stay experience was very enjoyable. I was housed with two other students, Millie [...]
Continue reading Home sweet home stay: Coastal South Wales »
September 22nd, 2009
At 2:45 a.m. I was awoken by a loud bang and the smell of smoke. In a haze of confusion, I quickly realized that something was wrong. After a few knocks on my door, I jumped out of bed, woke up my roomate and evacuated the building.
Anarchists had lit two cars on fire in front of the building next to house – which housed the rest of my fellow NYU classmates. Anarchism, a political philosophy that considers the government to be unnecessary and thus harmful is quite popular amongst the youth movement of Berlin. Although typically strong amongst the eastern [...]
Continue reading Anarchy! »
September 22nd, 2009
After two days of touring our new home in the Kreuzburg section of Berlin, NYU took all 30 of us to Potsdam. A mere 30-minute train ride from the center of the city, Potsdam contains a small town vibe, an oasis from the large city of Berlin. After touring its main museum as well as entering a beautiful Baroque style church, our group broke for lunch in the Dutch quarter. As though Amsterdam was placed in Germany, we traveled the narrow cobble stoned streets contained by neat rows of brick buildings. The streets, packed due to its annual crafts fare, [...]
Continue reading Potsdam – home of the psuedo conference »
September 22nd, 2009
After the whirlwind of activities and travel that spawned my last post, I decided to slow it down a little this past weekend (meaning I only traveled two days out of four). The other two were a nice break — I read a little, chatted with friends from home, and made a delicious spaghetti sauce which will conveniently save me some money on buying pre-made cans. I also hiked up to Piazzale Michelangelo to take some pictures of the city, and managed to see two weddings in the same while doing it! Apparently, Sept. 17 was the day to get [...]
Continue reading La Dolce Vita »
September 18th, 2009
The first two days of my time in London were orientation days given by Arcadia for all of it’s American study abroad students. Not that I don’t love sitting for hours while people with heavy accents give long (however humorous, as should be expected by the Brits) presentations on culture shock and good study habits, that are intended for the average college student who is the average college student age, neither category of which I fall under. What was really interesting though, was on the second day Arcadia brought in members of the British Parliament, both from the House of [...]
Continue reading Politics, Galleries and Oscar Wilde… »
September 16th, 2009
HOW did the Bucknell in Londoners end up with such an incredible class schedule? For our London Stage class, we get to attend a major theatre performance almost every week. During Art & Architecture, we chase our British professor through the city as he tells us everything he knows about London. We have to be careful when we cross the street, however, because he definitely does not follow pedestrian traffic rules. Our two other classes, taught by Professor Closson Buck and Professor Morin, also encourage us to explore the city as often as possible.
Today, we all went on a field trip [...]
Continue reading Best Classes Ever? »
September 16th, 2009
New shoes, a techno mix tape, hennaed hands, and 129 photos later, I returned to Rabat with my classmates. We spent this past weekend touring Meknes, Moulay Idriss, Volubilus, and Fes, and I arrived home to a special day in Ramadan. Although my days here are always too busy and I still miss things from home, I’m finally beginning to adjust to my life here in Morocco.
For a quick photo tour:
-The Thursday gate to the Jewish quarter in Meknes
-After lunch at a great home/petite hotel in Moulay Idriss, a tiny town on a hill. -
-The ruins of a Roman administrative [...]
Continue reading Four Dynasties, One Weekend »
September 16th, 2009
Hello again! I am about to recount the tale of what I think has been my fullest weekend yet here in Italy. Within four days, I managed to see Botticelli’s Venus, one of Italy’s most famous musical artists, the University of Bologna, and the Leaning Tower.
In any case, let me begin at the beginning. I don’t have class on Thursdays, so with nothing in particular to do I decided to head to the Uffizi (click the link in order to see a full catalog of the museum’s works online). As an NYU student I have free access (without waiting) to [...]
Continue reading I Love Chees. »
September 15th, 2009
I am sitting in my room, savoring the feeling of clothes folded in drawers and dresses on hangers, essentially not living out of my luggage any longer. I arrived to the Thoresby House, my dorm building in London last night, about 9:30 p.m. It is about 9 a.m. now and I am posting just before I leave for my first day of orientation. Let the show begin! Even as I share the last week of my magical pre-semester vacation travels, I am anxious to begin this new adventure. (I will be posting on a much more regular basis now that [...]
Continue reading My second week of travel, Italy »
September 15th, 2009
Four seasons, one hour or typical Irish weather as I’ve come to see. Thankfully this past weekend was devoid of all but one season and we were granted with sun and, if you can believe it, no rain.
I’m just back from a weekend on the Western Coast of Ireland. I totally understand why people would balk at spending four months in Dublin and suggest that a smaller, more rural college town would be a better idea and more comprehensive foray into Irish culture. The women at the Spar, European Sheetz, told me this after the ATM and I had a [...]
Continue reading Four Seasons, One Hour »
September 14th, 2009
Usually when I am injured I continually dwell on all of the things that I am missing out on. But a torn hamstring in Australia and I have one overruling thought: more beach time. Yes, the tear is unfortunate, and there actually may have been some minor swelling. I had to stop playing soccer, am no longer participating in our college’s dance competition, and had to back out of my adventure weekend that my study abroad program organizes. Yet the only remedy for the injury is lots of rest, and where better to rest than a gorgeous Australian beach? So [...]
Continue reading Injured in Australia… and loving it!! »
September 11th, 2009
“…You are an American if you have an American passport.”
What a shocking statement for an International Relations student making the effort to study abroad and integrate into the host culture! We’re beginning to question and discuss our role here and what we intend to learn. Here in Morocco, I’ve finished my week of program orientation, moved in with my family, and officially begun my classes, which by the way are fantastic.
My wonderful new family consists of my mama Majida, my baba Abdelwahid, and my four younger حتوات (sisters), Iman, Kowtar, Aya, and Lemya, ages 14 to 4. We live in [...]
Continue reading “You are not a global citizen.” »
September 9th, 2009
The title of this post is a bit of a reversal of the title of a book I’m reading for my community service internship (Un Italiano in America, also available in English as An Italian in America if you’re interested). I felt it was appropriate because the author’s (Beppe Severgnini) goal in the book is to understand/reveal the culture and attitudes of Americans–much as my goal here is to do that with the Italians. In Florence, a city of tourists, this can be hard to do…So, I set out to fix it. The first thing I did was buy a [...]
Continue reading Una Americana in Italia »
September 8th, 2009
Guten tag and welcome to Berlin. After a seven-plus hour trip I have finally arrived in Germany. Sleep deprived, jetlagged and scented with the sweet perfume of stale air, I hailed a cab and schlepped my luggage to my new home for the next four months. This apartment, located in former East Berlin, reeks of the GDR with its bland façade with matching interior décor. Equipped with two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, private bath as well as television and wireless, its lackluster panache quickly dissipates. This is by far the best apartment any student [...]
Continue reading Houston, We Have Liftoff »
September 8th, 2009
After my hectic arrival and crazy plane adventures, I was ready to start in on a scheduled day-by-day plan. We were met at the airport by the program coordinator and we carted all of our extremely heavy luggage onto the bus and made our way towards Dublin City University campus.
I never realized how cold Ireland was, even in the summer, until I hopped off my plane with flip-flops on. Needless to say, they were replaced with socks immediately. On a warm day it’s been about 60 degrees and when it begins to rain, which is approximately every 20 minutes, the [...]
Continue reading What’s a Bap? »
September 7th, 2009
I’ve barely had a spare moment since we arrived—sorry it’s taken me so long to write! I have finally settled into my London lifestyle. I say things like “rubbish” and “take-away,” and I ride the Tube like a professional. There is so much going on in this city, and our neighborhood, Farringdon, is a wonderful place to be. Our building is full of American students, and we’re only a few steps away from some charming pubs and restaurants.
We spent our first few days in London touring with a fabulous tour guide named Suze, who took us to Westminster Abbey and [...]
Continue reading Life as a Londoner »
September 7th, 2009
It is late Monday morning, I am in Dreux, at the home of my friend Alex’s mother. It’s her birthday and today Alex and I will go and find delicious homemade chocolate for her in addition to the cake they had made at the best boulangerie in town, according to Alex that is. I arrived in Paris less than one week ago, last Wednesday, and Alex my sweet friend, traveled to Paris the night before so that he would be there to pick me up from the airport. I met Alex last year at Bucknell and he [...]
Continue reading Pre-semester traveling… Week 1 of my European adventure »
September 4th, 2009
The past few days have been an absolute whirlwind.
I write this now in my hotel room in Rabat, serenaded through the huge open window by the noises of city street traffic, the vague chatter of people, and loud Arabic music being piped from somewhere outside. Did I mention it’s past midnight, and this city is still buzzing? Welcome to Ramadan.
To start from the beginning, my first impression of Morocco was: brown. I flew from JFK through Madrid to Casablanca, seeing the brown patchwork of land from my window seat, and from there I met the rest of my classmates and [...]
Continue reading “If you meet someone through family or friends, here we call it arranged marriage.” »
September 2nd, 2009
“Ich bin ein Berliner” A phrase heard ‘round the globe. To some it is viewed as JFK’s declaration that we, as citizens of the world, felt the plight of a post-war Germany. To others, a presidential linguistic blunder as JFK proclaimed himself to be a jelly donut. I view it as the perfect introduction to the city of Berlin; a place that is neither here nor there for it is truly one of a kind.
The city of Berlin has had a tumultuous, yet vital history. Beginning in the early 12th century as a series of disjointed villages, it gained fame [...]
Continue reading Not Your Average Jelly Donut »
September 1st, 2009
1) Dress like one:
Give in to the constant 95-degree heat and wear your shorts, your tank tops, and your flip flops. To complete the look, dye your hair blonde and put in blue contacts, if you didn’t already have these obviously non-Italian features.
2) Ride a Double-Decker Bus:
For extra points, you can ride a bright red one like me. To be fair though, it’s actually a pretty good way to see the entire city–I know now to go back to Piazzale Michaelangelo for breathtaking pictures of the city, for example.
While this is obviously the Duomo, you wouldn’t imagine the number of [...]
Continue reading How to be a tourist in three easy steps »
September 1st, 2009
So this is what it feels like to be delayed.
I began Wednesday August 26th, my last day in the US of A, with a farewell breakfast and a bon voyage lunch with my family, both of which were very lovely; everything that day was the picture of perfection. Guess I should have guessed something would be fouled, eh? I get to the airport at 4 for my 6:20 flight only to realize that my plane has been delayed for an hour. Our new scheduled departure is 7:00. No problem! The hour flight to Newark, having me arrive at 8:00, would [...]
Continue reading Is the Luck of the Irish transferable? »
September 1st, 2009
I realized something slightly upsetting the other day–I only have 7 weeks of classes left! Well, there is also a mid-semester break, a week off before exams, and then about 3 weeks of exams, which adds some more time, but it is still flying by like I can’t believe. I have already begun to plan out the maximum number of extra weeks that I can stay before I run out of money, have any other prior engagements, or before my parents come over here and force me back home.
So what have I been doing that has caused these past few [...]
Continue reading Time flies when you’re having fun »
August 29th, 2009
Ciao from Firenze! My first few days have been hectic, crazy, wonderful, and exhausting. Just as an example, let me describe my voyage and first few days to you in numbers…
10… the time when I lifted off in Boston
9… the number of hours before I actually reached Florence
8… how many of those hours were spent on planes
7… if you multiply this by 3, you’ll get approximately how many pounds my suitcase was over the weight limit. Luckily, the airline didn’t charge me. Woops!
6… about the time I reached my apartment on Tuesday evening
5… roughly the number of minutes away I [...]
Continue reading The Brown, the Blonde, and the Short »
August 24th, 2009
Earlier today I was in the middle of a conversation with a new acquaintance, a Moroccan man introduced to me by a family friend in light of my upcoming semester. While we were chatting about Morocco, we began talking about the languages, and he asked me if I could write. At the time I assumed he meant if I was literate in Arabic, Morocco’s official language, and replied that I had studied the language for a year and was learning.
However, looking back on the conversation, it struck me that 38 percent of Moroccan women are illiterate in any language in [...]
Continue reading الأفكار قبل مغادرته Thoughts Before Leaving »
August 18th, 2009
As I attempt to pack everything I own into two suitcases, I’m finally realizing that I won’t see Bucknell’s campus again until I’m a senior! I’ll be studying abroad all year — London in the fall and Granada in the spring. Bucknell in London departs in two days! The BiL group is fairly small (11 students and two faculty members). We’re living in flats not too far from the British Museum — I can’t wait to post pictures.
Anyway, summer has been relaxing — the highlight was definitely my road trip home from Bucknell in May. I’ve been working at a [...]
Continue reading Two Days and Counting… »
August 12th, 2009
… has come and gone away, in either Paris or Rome. But I wanna go home, just let me go home.” Thank you Michael Buble. You’ve put melody to my malady. Okay, ‘malady’ might be a bit extreme, but it sounded so good there. Either way, ‘Home’ is a great song which does explain my contentment to be home for awhile. I’ve spent seven of the last 14 months abroad. (I studied in South Africa for a short stint last summer.) While I loved every day of those months and hope that my future takes me as many places, I [...]
Continue reading “Another sunny day… »
August 9th, 2009
And … I’ve cemented your interest. Craic, in Gaelic, literally means fun. Nice play on words and an introduction to my study abroad experience in Ireland!
Lindsay here, beginning a five-month journey and exploration of the country most commonly referred to as the Emerald Isle. While my Boeing 747 doesn’t depart until Augu. 26, I thought I’d begin my blogging and annual recounts now, taking you along with me as I research the land of sheep’s milk and honey ale.
Let’s begin with a little introduction of who I am. I’m from the City of Champions, where we bleed black and gold [...]
Continue reading Off to Ireland; Where Craic is Fun »
August 7th, 2009
Hello again from Cambridge. This will be my last post from this fair city, so I thought I might make it a “Best of” edition, which seems to be a Boston tradition that you see in all kinds of magazines: Boston Magazine, the Phoenix, the Improper Bostonian, etc.
Ice Cream: Christina’s
Shoes: Aldo
No, Aldo is not a local Cambridge business–I had, in fact, even bought Aldo products before voyaging into the city. But, for fashionable shoes at a decent price (read: not a Newbury Street heartbreaker) I love Aldo. I wander in there all the time, much to Aaron’s chagrin. Not that [...]
Continue reading Winding down »
August 7th, 2009
Slowly but surely, after a few weeks here in Australia, I am beginning to feel like less like a tourist and more like a local. Not only have classes begun, and not only can I find my way to all of the buildings, but I am beginning to discover short cuts to get to them. It officially takes me just as long to get to class here in a university of 35,000 as it did walking from the mods back at Bucknell. I almost always remember to call a line a queue, to call a lab a practical, and to [...]
Continue reading And I thought Americans loved to abbreviate »
August 7th, 2009
My venture to North Africa begins in a mere three weeks. I can tell you that the anticipation is fantastic – I am thrilled at the idea of getting away from the home comforts of suburbia and the Bucknell bubble to explore a drastically different culture. Starting Sept. 1, I will be spending my fall semester abroad in Morocco, with the SIT program entitled “Culture and Society” (soon to be retitled “Multiculturalism and Human Rights”). I’ve got to figure out how to pack three and a half months of my life into one suitcase and a backpack by the end [...]
Continue reading المملكة المغربية The Kingdom of Morocco »
August 7th, 2009
I recently got a big chunk of insight in a one hour meeting. My Major pulled some contacts and I got to sit down with a Civil Affairs officer. This was my first chance to speak to someone in CA and it confirmed everything I thought I had found in a career. I can now say that a Civil Affairs officer is exactly what I want to be when I grow up. Only Captains are eligible for selection into this field, so I’ll have to work in another branch until I reach that rank. After this experience I am also [...]
Continue reading Dream Job »
August 7th, 2009
Now that I’m paired up with a true local I’ve gotten to slide into the native crowd and do what real Koreans do. One such activity is photo booths. We have them in America too, but this is the next level. Entire shops filled with the little booths that snap pictures of you and your friends. Then you move to the editing station and go digitally glitter crazy. Pop your coins in and out comes hyper-decorated pictures.
Astrology and fortune telling are popular as well. Most streets have at least one booth where young girls flock to ask if their current [...]
Continue reading Going Native »
August 7th, 2009
In a fabulous twist of fate one of my best friends from AUC lives in Seoul. She returned home this week and has been showing me the best of the city. In three days I’ve taken in some great sights, food, and entertainment.
Japanese steakhouses are fun because the cook comes to your table. In Korean steakhouses, you are the cook. There’s a fire pit in the middle of each table and you grill the marinated meat they bring to you raw. Or there might be a pot of boiling water that you fill with octopus and mushrooms and leaves. All [...]
Continue reading Adventures with Yuree »
July 31st, 2009
Today was so good I just have to give a play-by-play.
First, I went on a ’spiritual fitness retreat’ at Everland, Korea’s biggest theme park. It wasn’t spiritual in any sense, we didn’t even pray before lunch. The retreat was however a day off of work and out of uniform, on the Army Chaplain’s tab at that. I spent the day with KATUSAs, or Korean Augmentation to the United States Army. In Korea, military service is mandatory for males. Accomplished students can fulfill this obligation by working for the U.S. Army inside Korea. They wear our uniform and serve in our [...]
Continue reading A Delightful Day »
July 30th, 2009
I was able to mark off the number one foreigner’s opportunity in South Korea, a chance I didn’t know if I would be welcomed to take. But last Thursday I got to tour the DMZ, or Demilitarized Zone, between North and South Korea. It is very odd to stand calmly on that brink, the chasm between realities that makes my even being on the Peninsula plausible. The line of military demarcation presides over the longest ceasefire in recent history, an armistice signed in 1953. Peace was never reached and the ‘Demilitarized Zone’ is still a very loaded atmosphere, [...]
Continue reading Contradictions »
July 30th, 2009
No really, this dinner does. That’s because I pulled it out of an aquarium. Then a nice Korean lady chopped up my baby octopus, tossed on some oil and spices, and set him on the table. He was still squirming and suctioning to the plate. Well his arm pieces were at least. Our waitress advised us, through gesturing of course, to chew well before swallowing or he wouldn’t make it down. Alas, I couldn’t do it. I decided I could postpone the horror by waiting for him to stop wiggling. Thing is, he never did. For the rest [...]
Continue reading Dinner that sticks to your ribs! »
July 29th, 2009
Ciao (Chow) tutti (Two-Tee)! –> Hi Everybody!
So, this is the second time that I’ve sat in front of my computer for hours on end, trying to craft a wonderfully witty, hook-ridden first post to get you, my lovely readers, to keep checking up on me. It hasn’t worked. Instead, I’m going with the spill my brain onto the page technique that hopefully I’ll edit into a beautiful piece of blogging history. (Leaving this part in probably means I’m not doing so well with that)
Getting back on point (or at least explaining the title) I should probably tell you that I’m living in [...]
Continue reading Ciao from Cambridge »
July 28th, 2009
It’s hard to put this past week into one blog — I could probably go on forever with all of the things that I’ve been doing, people I’ve met, cultural differences, and the likes, and so instead I will give the shortened version. Beginning with the flights, they were just how I expected them to be: long, yet with great service including personal televisions and plenty of food.
The first four days after arrival my program was at an athletic/camp facility about a half hour outside of Sydney for our orientation. We had time to recover from jet lag (which [...]
Continue reading Week 1: creautures, cruises, and culture »
July 28th, 2009
My first day was conveniently also the first day for the Lieutenant I’m shadowing. When I say convenient, I’m being sarcastic. It was another fluster of ‘what on Earth is going on?’ Welcome to work, here’s your shadow! The poor Lt. doesn’t even know his own job yet. However, what at surface may look like a setback has actually been an opportunity.
After all, what will I be in two years? A brand new Lt., exactly where he is today. So I get to witness the transition from one base to another and see how he maneuvers himself into his [...]
Continue reading Newbies »
July 28th, 2009
Being assigned to 65th Med doesn’t imply that I’m working directly in health care. In fact, the first meeting I attended focused on car parts. The Army is just that big.
I work at the S4 level, supplies and logistics. Further specified, I work in the office that tracks every single item that 65th Brigade possesses, which encompasses all medical (121st), dental (618th), and veterinary (129/106th) services in the Republic of Korea.
Endless online log books mean that S4 knows the serial number, price, and location of every IV needle, oil line pump, and mop used by 65th. The hospitals, [...]
Continue reading Car Parts »
July 27th, 2009
My first night in Korea was spent in a tent! Welcome to the U.S. Army! After the 13-hour flight from Chicago to Incheon it was nice to stretch out, anywhere. The military may not be luxurious, but they take care of the basics.
The first day on Yongsan base consisted of a lot of ‘hurry up and wait’. My unit wasn’t expecting me. After giving me an on-the-spot in-briefing, my major said I could spend the rest of the day settling in. “Sir, I don’t know where I’m staying. Or how to get there. Or where to eat. This is [...]
Continue reading Hurry up and wait »
July 10th, 2009
For the past five weeks, I have been in Lewisburg. I spent just a few short weeks away from the campus before returning to have the honor of being a part of the creation of Bucknell’s first piece of public art. The mural was finally completed on July 3 and for the week since I have remained on campus to spend time with Professor Paul Susman’s dog, Sophie, house sitting for his family while they soak up the sun in New England.
Having this week to relax and recover much needed sleep has allowed me to finally begin to look forward [...]
Continue reading Finally leaving Bucknell… »
July 9th, 2009
I can’t recall exactly how young I was that I set my heart on going to Australia, but I do remember that by third grade I was completely infatuated with the idea. As had all of my previous travel obsessions, it all started with the spin of a globe, closed eyes, and a pointed finger. Yet as I began to learn what Australia really had to offer, mostly through my third grade teacher who had a Down Under nook in our classroom, the interest stuck. Now, about 13 years and several traumatizing business trips that my mother took to Australia [...]
Continue reading And 12 years of Australian anticipation later… »
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