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 [...]
Study Abroad Bloggers
Archive for September, 2009
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Best Classes Ever?
Tags: Bucknell in London, England, Spanish
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Four Dynasties, One Weekend
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 [...]
Tags: International relations, Morocco
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
I Love Chees.
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.
Tags: italy
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
My second week of travel, Italy
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 [...]
Tags: italy
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Four Seasons, One Hour
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 [...]
Tags: Ireland
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments OffMonday, September 14th, 2009
Injured in Australia… and loving it!!
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 [...]
Tags: Australia
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments OffFriday, September 11th, 2009
“You are not a global citizen.”
“…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 [...]
Tags: International relations, Morocco
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments OffWednesday, September 9th, 2009
Una Americana in Italia
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…
Tags: castiglioncello, firenze, florence, sandals, siena, tuscany
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Houston, We Have Liftoff
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 could ask for making my [...]
Tags: Berlin
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments OffTuesday, September 8th, 2009
What’s a Bap?
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, [...]
Tags: Ireland
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »