Hier mal ein paar Eindrücke aus meinem derzeitigen Lebensmittelpunkt. Bin eigentlich nur zum Schlafen und Essen nicht hier. Außerdem haben die hier jetzt nen Weihnachtsbaum aufgestellt. Direkt vor der Bücherei. Bin gespannt wie und ob er geschmückt wird. Groß ist er mal

over the rainbow.

Heute morgen aus meinem Zimmer heraus entstanden. Leider lassen sich die Fenster hier nicht komplett öffnen, deshalb der Schleier in der Mitte. Beschlagen sind sie nämlich morgens auch. Top modern der Kasten hier.

Während ich das schreibe, lässt sich gerade der geschätzte 5. Regenbogen beobachten. Weiß nicht was heute los ist. Vielleicht sollte ich mal nach dem Ende suchen, da ist doch ein Topf voll mit Gold vergraben oder? Wäre sinnvoller als das Essay, an dem ich gerade hänge.

Ach da ist es ja Lange gesucht und endlich gefunden. Ich sollte meine Bilder besser sortieren und taggen. Ich fand die Idee ziemlich genial. Das ganze befindet sich an der Promenade hier in Brighton und ist direkt neben dem Eingang zu einer Kunstgalerie. Hab leider nie die Gelegenheit gehabt ein Foto ohne Auto davor zu machen.

love hate

(via)

Im Moment hat es ja irgendwie keiner so richtig einfach. Da denkt man es wird bald Weihnachten und jeder sollte sich in freudiger Erwartung auf schöne Stunden so langsam darauf einstellen. Aber egal wo ich mich im Moment umhöre. Keiner ist so richtig in Stimmung. Keiner hat Zeit dafür. Vielleicht wird der Schalter nen Tag vor dem Heiligabend umgestellt. Hach ja Weihnachten schön wie jedes Jahr.

Ich wollte euch mal auf den neusten Stand bringen. Ein Essay ist abgegeben. An den nächsten wird bereits gearbeitet. Ich fühle Fortschritt, aber in Anbetracht der nur noch bisschen mehr als zwei Wochen kommt Panik in mir auf. Schaffe ich das alles? Bestehe ich alle Kurse? Was wäre wenn nicht? Gute Frage eigentlich. Auslandsbafög habe ich bisher immer noch keins gesehen. Nach einem freundlichen Telefonat heute morgen, wurde mir mitgeteilt, dass ich im Februar vielleicht Geld bekomme. Wisst ihr warum? Natürlich nicht, aber ich erzähl es euch. Ob ihr wollt oder nicht.

Stichtag ist der 30.11. Bis dahin sollten alle Unterlagen eingegangen sein. Mr Vorsorglich hier hat gedacht, schickste das Zeug schon hin bevor du ins Ausland gehst dann ist die Arbeit schon in Deutschland getan und hier ist nicht so viel Stress. Vorsichtshalber natürlich unten drunter: “Falls noch weitere Unterlagen fehlen sollten, teilen Sie mir dies bitte mit.” Ja, genau! Wer ahnt es. Es fehlen Unterlagen und keiner hat mir Bescheid gesagt. Ich kenne jetzt auch die Art des Business Models um Geld zu sparen. Lasst die Studenten einfach Deadlines verpassen, dann müssen wir weniger Bafög ausbezahlen. Mir fällt dazu eigentlich nur ein Wort ein. Dreist! Ich konnte jetzt alles noch besorgen und hab es abgeschickt. Dürfte vor dem 30.11. eintreffen. Pech gehabt deutscher Staat! An mich wirst du zahlen.

Ansonsten ein kleines Dankeschön an die vielen Besucher in letzter Zeit auf meinem Blog. Viel Für meine Verhältnisse viel. Freut mich wenn euch das Ein oder Andere interessiert.

Success of the life depends on the Decisions that you take at each and every stage of your life. And the decision can be perfect when it is taken at the perfect time.
Most of us have the fear of taking decision because we are afraid of its results and though we take a decision we are careless about the Time that we are taking to implement it. Everything you do is an investment of time.

Here are some specific suggestions for those who aim to pursue MS Degree from the reputed US University, and if you have

•Appeared for GRE and searching for Universities:
The perfect time to start FALL applications is in the month of September/October but still it is possible to apply for FALL 2010.But do not delay the things as you delayed and did not start applications in September. Understand the importance of time and have professional guidance as soon as possible.

•Just decided to pursue MS Degree from US University:
Remember one thing that this process takes minimum 6 months to maximum 2 years from GRE preparations till you get Visa. If you don’t want to miss golden opportunities, it is mandatory to have a proper schedule. The problem is, your life is already full, and you end up busy with all the day-to-day things, unable to find time for what you really want to do. And how often have you reached the end of the day, and had no energy? How often has something unexpected cropped up that steals away the time you were going to spend working towards your goal?

Here are some ways to make the time that you need:

1.Take the first hour of your day and use it for what really matters to you. Everything else can wait for just one hour.
2.List your activities according to the importance level and follow the hierarchy.
3.Instead of wasting time to just chat with friends on unnecessary matters You could ask a friend to keep you accountable by checking up on your progress, whether that’s through a weekly phone call or a quick daily check-in on Twitter. Sometimes, it’s easier to stay motivated when you know that someone else is cheering you on. So friends can also be a great source of encouragement.

There are Chances that you will be tired, and want to do something else like answer your emails, or watch television, or sleep in. You will be able to enjoy all these things also if you arrange your activities from initial stage rather than doing the last minute show.

In many ways time is more valuable than money. You’ll always have the opportunity to make more money, but once time has been spent it’s gone forever. When you think of time as a commodity, and all of your actions as investments, it changes the way you approach every day decisions.

Ultimately “DECISION IS PERFECT WHEN IT IS TAKEN AT PERFECT TIME”

via lisaannewatmuff.

Wie gestört muss man denn eigentlich sein, dass man nicht checkt, dass in der Nacht von 12 oder 1 Uhr bis mal mindestens 6 oder 7 Uhr am Morgen manche Menschen einfach schlafen.

So langsam frage ich mich ob die Kids hier im Gang zu blöd für ein “Entschuldigung, aber könntet ihr das bitte hinter verschlossenen Türen machen?” sind. Jedes Mal aufs Neue stehen Türen auf und es wird aus 20 Meter Entfernung ein Name gebrüllt. Ja nicht geschrien, gebrüllt. Da muss man noch nicht mal betrunken sein. Noooeeee, das geht auch so.

Gestern war es mal wieder soweit. Nur habe ich den lauten Verdacht, dass da ordentlich was geraucht wurde, das nicht nur aus Tabak bestand. So viel Kichern und Lachen und eine Fressorgie, die die Küche in einem Schlachtfeld hinterlassen hat, dass ich heute mit Mühe und Not einen Kaffee machen konnte, sind nicht normal ohne betrunken oder stoned zu sein. Ich setze so ziemlich alles auf Letzteres.

Ganz ehrlich, mal abgesehen von der Illegalität, ich finde die Ignoranz die einem hier entgegengebracht wird abstoßend. Da fange ich an mich mit allen ziemlich gut zu verstehen. Lasse die zehnte Entschuldigung wegen der Lautstärke nachts als angenommen gelten und dann kommt die elfte. Vielleicht kennt ihr das Gefühl ja, das so ein Fass zum Überlaufen bringt, aber ich bin dann nicht raus und hab sie in den Senkel gestellt. Nein alle sollen leiden. Mir wurden Zettel an die Tür gehängt mit Entschuldigungen. Ich wurde schon zum Dinner eingeladen. Aber ich glaube die Bestrafung sitzt diesmal. Konter-Ignoranz.

Langes Intro, aber das musste jetzt mal raus. Was mich viel mehr beschäftigt, ist der Umstand, dass aus eigentlich angenehmen Zeitgenossen immer solche Egoisten werden müssen. Ist das die Einstellung einer Generation. Party komm raus du bist umzingelt und dabei alles um einen herum vergessen? Oder war das schon immer so und ich bin immer nur um alle besorgt? Mir würde selbst im betrunkensten Zustand nicht einfallen in einem Gang in dem 5 Leute schlafen lauthals zu rufen. Vielleicht spiegelt das aber genau die Einstellung einer neuen Generation wieder, die schon mit Ellenbogen erzogen wurde. Und wisst ihr was “die” besonders gut können: Sich selbst überschätzen und denken sie wären King “Kannstmichmal”. Wenn du nachts um 4, verschlafen, in deinem Pyjama, und höflichem Englisch darauf hinweist, dass du gerne schlafen würdest, kommt ein gepresstes klar, sorry. Mach deine Tür zu und du wirst keine 10 Sekunden später ein schallendes Lachen vernehmen.

Was lernen wir ich daraus: In dem Zusammenhang besteht kein Unterschied zwischen Deutschen und Engländern. Ich bin wohl ein Spießer. Oder ich bin zu alt. Oder beides. Vielleicht auch nur eine Spaßbremse.

Noch einen kleinen Hinweis an euch da draußen: Übernehmt Verantwortung, darum geht es nämlich in dem Scheissladen. Achso und fuck you!

I’ve had a headache all day today and I’m blaming it on my room’s heater. When I have the heater turned on, it just dries out everything - my skin, my throat, all my clothes (they feel like sandpaper.) I bought a 2 liter bottle of water from the convenience store to try to rehydrate myself, so we’ll see if that works. I’ve tried leaving the heater off over night, but I just wake up in the middle of the night freezing – even with two comforters on. I guess I need  a humidifier.

Anyways, I haven’t had classes for about two weeks now. I had two papers to write last week, but they didn’t take up all that much time. I’ve been out around Kichijoji and Shibuya a couple times, but the only places that I’ve actually went to that are relatively far away have been Ueno Park, Disney Sea, and Harajuku.

Ueno took a while to get to. From Kichijoji, you ride the Chuo-sen to Shinjuku, then transfer to the Yamanote-sen and ride it all the way around to Ueno. It took about 45 minutes. It was beautiful this time of year – the leaves on the trees were starting to change colors and – before the sun began to set – the air was just brisk enough to feel like fall. The park is lined by several museums, including the Tokyo National Museum – which we went to. We got free admission when we showed our college IDs – some kind of educational partnership deal. Usually it’s about 1000 yen – a little more than $10 with the current pathetic exchange rate – so it was nice to get in for free. The museum largely followed a chronological timeline of the history of Japan – beginning with the Jomon Period. It was filled with corresponding historical artifacts and art pieces. It was really cool because it followed the same progression that the Art History class on Japan I took last spring at Mount Holyoke followed. I was able to see all the Jomon pottery, haniwa, dotaku, etc. that I studied. Some of the pieces were the actual ones pictured in my text-book, so it was really neat to see them up close. In addition to the main museum, we also went into an adjacent building that had artifacts from India, China, and Korea. It was cool to be able to form connections between them and the Japanese pieces. After we finished at the museum, we walked around the park for a little while. It was starting to get chilly and I was wearing flip-flops and a thin sweater – a bad choice of clothing. There were still a decent number of people roaming around – including a street performing who was blasting techno music and juggling/balancing on a ladder. He was getting alot of applause. On the edge of the park there is a really gorgeous shrine. I took alot of pictures – particularly of the Pagoda.

I went to Disney the next day – but it was not the best day for a theme park. It was overcast in the morning, but we decided to go anyways. We rode the Chuo-sen to Tokyo Station around 9.30 – it was so crowded that we had to stand up the whole time – at least half an hour. We transferred at Tokyo Station – it felt like an airport. To walk from one platform to the other it took almost 15 minutes. There were escalators and long passageways – crazy. Once we transferred we were about 20 minutes away from Disney. From the windows of the train, the Tokyo Bay was visible. However, by the time we got there, it was raining. I dressed fairly warmly, but once my feet got wet I was freezing. Regardless, it was fun to go on the rides, I hadn’t been to any kind of theme park in years. And when I saw the school girls wearing nothing but there school uniforms – short pleated skirt, knee socks, and a blazer - I kind of felt like I couldn’t complain about being cold. It was an all day affair – I was so beat that as soon as I got home I fell asleep…and I stayed that way  till the next afternoon.

Yesterday I went to Harajuku. It doesn’t take long at all to get there from Kichijoji - if you take the Keio line to Shibuya and then transfer to the Yamanote line, you can get there in under 25 minutes. It was relatively crowded for 3pm on a weekday. There was a surprisingly large number of foreigners – some of them quite dressed up. There was a lot of funny English signs – including one that said “No smorking! No littering! No tout! No shoplifting!” Your guess is as good as mine on what “tout” means. There wasn’t much to do for poor college students, except for window shop. There are tons and tons of high-end stores – Emporio Armani, Gucci, Chanel, United Colors of Benetton, etc. There were some stereotypical rich Japanese girls wandering around – one was dressed in a fur coat, bug-eyed sunglasses, four-inch high-heeled ankle boots, and was carrying a small dog in what I think was a Louis Vuitton dog-carrying bag. It was borderline ridiculous. Regardless, we did go into a few of the cheaper stores – H&M, Forever 21, and this store called Kiddyland - which was full of cutesy cartoon character paraphernalia.

Other than that, I’ve just been hanging out in Kichijoji. I’ve been going to my favorite coffee shop – Excelsior Caffe - and drinking lots of mochas - probably too many. The other day I was in there and the barrista called me the 英語を話すお客様 - “english speaking customer” instead of reading out my receipt number when he was passing out drinks. I got a kick out of it. On the same day I wandered around a bookstore for a while and decided to buy this Japanese book called ﾜｰｷﾝｸﾞｶﾞｰﾙ･ウオーズ – “Working Girl Woes.” So far I’ve only made it about 3 pages in – it’s alot of work to read because there are so many kanji in it that I don’t know. Everytime I come across a new kanji, I have to go through the whole process of looking it up. When I was purchasing the book, the cashier asked me a question that I didn’t understand. I decided to just go with it so I responded, 「はい」- “yes.” She then proceed to put a brown paper cover over the book. I’ve noticed these covers before – alot of the people I’ve seen reading on the train seem to have this style of book cover – it usually has the name, address, and phone number of the book store on it. But, I could never figure out what their purpose was. Now, I think that it’s a privacy thing. In case you don’t want the people around you to be able to see what you’re reading – you can have it covered for free. Interesting.

Now that I’ve been out of class for two weeks, I’m actually anxious/ready to go back. I really want to work more on my Japanese – while in some aspects, I feel like I’ve improved since I’ve been here, my speaking and listening abilities still aren’t that great. Plus, while I like having the break from work and being able to travel, it gets boring not having anything specific to do every day. Class registration in on Dec. 2nd and classes start the next day – a Friday.

So, that’s it for now. I’m going to try to fall asleep at a decent hour tonight and try to get rid of my headache.

Found!

FFFFOUND! | woumpah /// graphic & multimedia designer /// Paris.

Hier ein kleiner Zufall. Blättere sinnlos in einem Buch um für mein Essay Infos zu finden und stoße auf das hier.

book

Tja good old Germany und direkt oben drüber wo ich mich gerade aufhalte. Wenn das mal kein Zufall ist.

If you are American, like me, and are planning to spend some time in London then there’s a lot you may want to know. Nothing can take away from the actual experience of living here. No one can teach you that. Yet, if you are a rookie in the UK or making arrangements to study here abroad or live here for a time – there are some interesting tidbits, pitfalls and surprises that will ultimately become part of the best stories of your life.

I’ve been living here for five years. Back when I began studying here, I only knew London by its landmarks, rituals and monarchs. No one who arrives in central London is going to be very surprised to see the changing of the guards or Big Ben. They might be intrigued or excited, but not surprised.

What might prove to be a revelation, however, is the quiet. Now I don’t mean to paint a picture straight from The Sound of Music, with some nymph-like woman twirling around on a hilltop. London is a major city with traffic, rush hours, homeless people, tourists and criminals – make no mistake about it. Yet, there are subtleties that sneak up on the unsuspecting newcomer. For example, during rush hour in the city, you will almost never hear a car honk its horn. If you are from Minnesota, that might not be a huge surprise. But I’m from New York, and it’s not possible to walk through that asphalt jungle at 9AM on a Monday without hearing a cacophony of car horns. Every car is speaking, and though each one sounds different they are basically saying the same thing. ‘Get out of my way!’ Yet in London, a car horn is a rarity. You may hear one ever so often – but even then – other drivers are looking at the trigger happy horn blower as if he has utterly lost his mind.

Another reality is that Englanders, as a rule, are very reserved people. That is not to say that there aren’t scuffles, arguments, scenes, tirades and even the occasional fight. Still, on average, voices are at a moderate pitch. If you are from a major city in America, this may take getting used to. In my first year in London, I was always asking people to repeat themselves. I was also very aware of the stares I received whenever I spoke in public – the loud New Yorker that I am. I’ve since learned to lower my voice, so much so that when I return home, my family and friends are asking me for the first two days, ‘Why are you talking so softly? What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?’

These aspects of quietude gives London an overwhelming calmness that presents itself when least expected. One of my favourite hangouts was Leicester Square, which for all intents and purposes reminds one of Times Square if it was scaled down by about 60%. But right in the centre of the large movie theatres, restaurants and tourist shops is a tiny little park with trees, benches and statues. And though there is touristy mayhem and a vendor jamboree going on right outside the park, stepping in it is like entering a vacuum of hushed tranquillity. It’s as if the noise cannot penetrate the invisible walls of the park.

There are ever more interesting aspects about the journey that is England to be revealed in future blogs; as they are, even now, being revealed to me. Stay tuned for more. And remember, you don’t have to be American to relate to these experiences, and you don’t have to live in England to understand that every place on earth has its own special nuances. And the world keeps going ‘round.

In the summer of ‘09 I decided to take a leap across the pond and experience a magazine internship in London.  It was a program through the UT Study Abroad Office which found us an internship based on our qualifications.  During the program, we also took a course on British culture to satisfy student visa requirements.  I worked for Big Cheese Magazine, a punk and hardcore lifestyles publication, as an intern.  

I wrote many CD, DVD, and book reviews.  They gave me so much experience and even let me interview a few bands: 3OH!3, Lovvers, Dave McPherson from InMe, and William Baylis from The Hot Melts.  Also I wrote some small introductory pieces on bands and a few feature stories.  I did clerical work as well, but only had to make one cup of coffee during the entire two months that I worked there.  I was able to see exactly how a magazine is produced on a personal level.

via FFFFOUND! | Audrey Hepburn by ~zhuzhu on deviantART.

Hello! My name is Evie Elman and I have recently fallen in love with Printmaking.  I am one amongst six in our intimate class, and Jane Pack is our very experienced teacher. Because we are all taking intensive courses such as oil painting, figure drawing, basic drawing, Greek Literature, creative writing, and more for others (but that is my schedule) – printmaking falls but once a week and it is 3 hours long.

We start each class learning about the history of printmaking and looking at classic prints by renowned artists. This gets our creative juices bubbling, and helps us begin our hands-on work period where we etch and print with an empowering old printing press. We crank the wheel, we roll the ink, we dip things in acid,  we roll hard ground on top of a hot plate over an open fire – though not in that order! We are pretty cool. We have also learned how to make mono types -  a refreshing approach, with a similar effect, all involving the press and ink.

Printmaking is a fascinating old process, one that requires a sense of release. You must be free and prepared for the unexpected surprise that may show up on your print, though accidents 95% of the time add something delightful. This freedom of not having total control is exciting, and keeps me eager to produce. It feels like you are no longer working alone, but with the printing Gods, and together something beautiful will form. Cheers!

Okay, so really the countdown already began but I am just talking about it now =)

November 19th was the official 2-month mark! My plane leaves Pittsburgh on January 19th (of course, I won’t arrive until the 20th… bleh) and I don’t get back until May 30th (!!!!!). A little crazy how fast everything is creeping up on me, but I’m starting to get excited and worry about how I’m going to pack for 5 months in another country. Meghan, anyone, tips??

One good thing is that I’m at least pretty certain that I’ll have somewhere to live over there! My mom got a housing contract in the mail at home so now I just need to get it scanned and returned and I’m locked in! I said I’m pretty certain because the contract arrived a day after the deadline to be turned back into them =/ But I’m sure they’ll be understanding of the whole… crossing the ocean thing, right?

I only have two days of my internship until the Thanksgiving holiday! Push through it, Dublado!!!

My internship this past week has been great. Just as I suspected, I didn’t do so well the week before that. My field instructor did talk to me about it and we resolved everything. I’m getting to talk to more and more kids and I have a list of kids waiting for me tomorrow. My research paper is screaming for me! I need to read the articles I have. I don’t even think I can work on my research project this Thanksgiving week! Wednesday, I’m going shopping for an outfit. Thursday is actual Thanksgiving. Friday, possible Renaissance Festival. Saturday, Liz’s wedding. Sunday, work. Then, back to internship Monday.

There is no such thing as a break. I have to see my friend, Jia! She is in town from California! I miss her greatly!! I’m not even sure when I saw her last. It has gotten harder and harder to keep in touch with people. Even people who live in Houston. It’s quite pathetic.

This week has been a definite struggle with work. My co-workers are amazing and will always be amazing. There’s just tinges of drama that takes a great chunk of my energy. I did have a good time at work today, though. Human relationships are so infinitely complex. That is the sentence that would best describe this week at work.

After work today, my mom and I went shopping. I had no luck dress shopping, but I still did some damage at Old Navy. I got to catch up with my mom a bit. I told her about the study abroad opportunities through my graduate school this summer, to Turkey and to China. I also started talking to her about the non profit organization I wanted to set up in the future, and she was actually excited about it. Approval! wowza!

Can’t believe 2009 is almost done. It’s been a great year.

As an undergraduate in Cultural Anthropology, I feel that it is my scholastic duty, nay, my sacred duty, to boldly explore a new culture, especially in areas that may disgust my fellow Americans. And so I have lately been utilizing the bidet, in order to discover whether it truly offers a healthier and exciting alternative to toilet paper. My results? Fantastic! Although I must mention that the bidets at the AUC  are not separate from the toilet, as they traditionally are. They are similar to the one in the picture I have conveniently posted on this page.

The bidet in action!

The American Bidet Company has a fine critique of the often negative American impression towards the Bidet, and their observation on toilet paper particularly resonated with me:

Toilet paper has been perfumed, decorated in color, sterilized and made antiseptic, but nevertheless, it is still dry paper and only a step better in evolutionary improvement than the pages of the mail order catalogue or the barbaric plantain leaf.

But then they take the argument against toilet paper and general ridicule of bidet-use a step farther:

However, upon graduating from infancy to the stage of self reliant childhood, they are permitted to revert to the medieval custom of wiping and dry toilet paper. American parents are solely responsible for depriving their children of the appropriate guidance and education on this subject. Perhaps this is the result of the Puritanical American culture and heritage handed down through the years.

Exactly! Our puritanical history and upbringing has caused widespread deterioration to our collective lavatory  habits and has rendered Americans nothing but savages. Barbaric plaintain leaf indeed. As an aside, I recommend that no one visit the American Bidet Company’s website. It may prove to be scaring, particularly the home page, and I am mostly convinced it’s a fake. But it makes for great comedy.

As some of you may know, I have a ‘traineeship’ with the the Desert Development Center at AUC this semester, and I have been part of a group examining how the school uses water. Part of this has involved testing the water pressure on toilets throughout campus. We needed to test toilets on different days and on different floors to see how the water pressure changes.

My partner was a girl and so we had to sneak into bathrooms, after making sure they weren’t in use of course, since a guy following a girl into a bathroom is… uh… frowned upon here, to say the least. We tried looking as official as possible though, clearly displaying our wrench, pressure gauge, data collecting tools, etc. A cleaning lady followed us in once and spent a few minutes furiously cleaning the vanity until we left, which seemed strange since it was already in pristine condition. Anyway, after checking the water pressure on the second or so toilet, we test flushed it to make sure we reconnected it correctly. I was standing a couple feet in front of the toilet and was blasted from the bidet, as apparently the pressure had built up during our test. I was drenched. The whole episode was somewhat similar to the picture above.

This all reminded me of earlier in the semester, when our group was studying the condition/layout of bathrooms in the Administration Building to see if there was any leaks and to make sure it all matched up with the building’s blueprint (Wow, I never realized how much work I’ve been doing in bathrooms this semester). We kept finding bathrooms that were simply devastated. We were informed by maintenance that the water had been shut off during the weekend and when it was turned back on, the built up pressure in some of the toilet’s bidets, which had not been turned off properly, had shot through the ceiling tiles and otherwise flooded the bathrooms. I really can’t properly describe it. Imagine the scene in the Matrix when Neo and Trinity shoot up the front hall of the building that Morpheus is being held captive in. It looked remarkably similar to that, as the ceiling tiles and other lavatory features were in pieces everywhere. In fact, I can’t stop laughing every time I imagine what it must have looked like when it happened.

(The TCNJ Office for International and Off-Campus Studies is beginning a project to capture the experiences of a select group of TCNJ study abroad students at each stage of the study abroad process: pre-departure, at various stages of the program, and upon re-entry into their home culture.  Over the course of the next few months you will meet these students and begin to understand why they are studying abroad, what they hope to acheive while they are overseas, and how they cope with some of the inevitable challenges students face while learning the ins and outs of a new way of life.  Our first student is Christina Mirisis ‘11, a student in the School of Culture and Society.)

As the end of the semester is quickly approaching and I am about to embark on my second study abroad journey in Turin, Italy, I am overcome with excitement.  In fact I have had a countdown until my departure since September, only another month and a half! 

Christina Mirisis in Torino, Italy, during her Summer 2009 study abroad program.

Last summer I had the wonderful opportunity of studying in Turin at St. John International University for six weeks where I was captivated by the enchanting city, people, language and culture.  My program exceeded my expectations, provided me lifelong memories and left me with a longing to return to Italy.  I had been interested in the Italian language and culture since I began studying the language my freshman year of college; however, my passion for Italian flourished during my study abroad program last summer.  My experience in Turin was a principal factor in my decision to pursue a Self-Designed Major in Italian and Linguistics in addition to my Spanish major. 

My study abroad program in Italy was undoubtedly the highlight of my undergraduate career thus far because it was an incredible learning experience in which I stepped out of my comfort zone and saw the world from a different perspective.  I experienced the authentic Italian lifestyle by grocery shopping at open air markets among locals, conversing with my roommate in Italian while enjoying an aperitif at one of Turin’s many historic cafes, seeing films in Italian and interacting with locals to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of their language and culture.  As the fall semester is coming to a close I look forward, with great excitement and enthusiasm, to having the opportunity to relive my incredible experience from last summer, to make new friendships and to be immersed in the Italian language and culture.  In just six short weeks Turin became my second home and I look forward to returning to familiar places such as Lingotto (former Fiat factory which now features a concert hall, movie theatre and shopping center), Porta Palazzo (the largest open air market in Europe), Superga (Basilica set atop the hill of Superga which provides incredible views of the city of Turin and the surrounding area) and Piazza Castello (heart of Turin and home to many of the residences of the Savoy family).  I will end this entry with a quote from a bookmark I bought at the Feltrinelli bookstore in Turin.  “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”  This quote from St. Augustine captures the value of study abroad because travel is one of the best educational tools that teaches a person lessons not found in a book or a classroom.

The culminating event for International Education Week at TCNJ was the appearance of Huang Xiang, a very famous poet from China, on Friday, November 20.  While not a household name in the United States, Huang Xiang has earned international respect for his poetry, which he recites in a vigorous and engaging style that transcends any language barrier that  might exist between him and his audience.  The students and faculty who attended his presentation laughed openly in response to several of Huang Xiang’s poems, all the while wondering curiously what exactly he might be saying!

Well, Huang Xiang’s poems were translated into English and projected on the screen behind him as he performed…but there was more to ponder than just his intonations and scripts.  Huang Xiang sought political asylum in the US after decades of activity as a political activist in China.   A participant in the City of Asylum project with his wife, Zhang Ling, Huang Xiang has a life story that mirrors the history of China since the middle of the twentieth century.  Students may well have wondered what this slight, unassuming gentleman could possibly have done to ignite the ire of the Chinese government.  A quick study of modern Chinese history, though, would help students appreciate the role of the arts in Chinese culture and the potential power of Huang Xiang’s words as an expression of political activism.

Students interested in learning more about China and East Asia have a number of options available to them at TCNJ, thanks to our affiliation with CIEE.  There are semester and summer programs in China itself, including intensive language options in Beijing (Peking University), Nanjing (Nanjing University), and Shanghai (East China Normal University).  An intensive Chinese language program at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan, is also available.  Students who would like to combine language study with coursework in English might consider other options in Beijing and Shanghai. CIEE also offers TCNJ graduates the opportunity to teach English in China.

TCNJ students may also study abroad in Japan and Korea – a wide array of program options exist and may be found at http://www.tcnj.edu/~goglobal/undergraduate/locations.html#asia.

For more information about TCNJ study abroad options, please go to http://www.tcnj.edu/~goglobal.

Everything is almost set! I am getting my plane ticket very soon. I can’t believe that I am going to be gone for five months. I am excited but very nervous. Everyone keeps telling me that I am going to love it there. There’s apparently only one other OU student going who I haven’t met. Today there was a long pre-departure meeting. They told us that we need to prepare ourselves to feel uncomfortable. Perfect! I feel uncomfortable all the time!

so mein erstes Mixtape für den November. Ein Querschnitt durch die Musik die ich so höre. Zu viel Stress, Arbeit oder der Kopf woanders? Einfach mal reinhören. Enjoy it.

Wochenende läute ich hier in Brighton jetzt mal ein. Eigentlich schon gestern Abend. Waren in unserer Stammkneipe – East Slope Bar – und haben drei ziemlich fantastischen RockWhateverBands gelauscht. Leider war es mal wieder wie immer. LEER. Also nicht nur das Bierglas nach dem ein oder anderen Lied, sondern auch die Bar. Völlig unverständlich für mich. Musik, Rock, Newcomer, eventuell die Killers von 2010 und das Ganze für umme. Naja ich mag mich da nicht weiter drüber aufregen. Uns hat es gefallen.

Deshalb bekommt ihr hier jetzt auch einen Link zu der Hauptband

Redtrack the band – live noch n tick punkiger und härter.

Wenn mir die Namen der anderen Bands wieder einfallen geb ich Bescheid. Ansonsten werde ich jetzt mal schön an meinem Essay weiter schreiben und nebenbei durch die Weiten des Internets surfen.

OneWorld Now! partnered with AFS-France and the Youth Ambassador Program to host 9 students from France this past week in Seattle! It was great to see our OneWorld Now! students stepping up to host these students and they got full OWN experience! Many of the French students were surprised that our youth represented so many different faiths, backgrounds and countries of origins (just like them) – here we go again, breaking those stereotypes!

We had a good-bye reception at Cherry Street Cafe and they kindly put together this video of the event.