Hola amigos,

My first post wasn’t much of anything, so I guess I should talk a little about where I’m actually living for the next 4 months.

Fact: Mexico City is the third largest city in the world with a population of about 20 million.
Fact: Mexico City’s elevation is about 7,400 feet.
Fact: Mexico City is not Chicago

Coming to Mexico City, I prepared myself for the changes, but living in Chicago is not like living here. Its hotter, drier, more crowded, less air, sometimes smellier, and you get hollered at daily. BUT, it costs 2 pesos to take the bus from school (like 20 cents), you can get a nice tan/burn in less than an hour on the roof, you can see visit almost any museum for free with a student ID, you can buy delicious pastries for 50 cents or an Enrique’s complete greatest hits.

I have my ‘I miss Chicago and my family and boyfriend, waaahhh!’ moments, but I keep reminding myself its all part of the process. New country, new language, new friends; its a lot to take in all at once. Plus you go to bed exhausted from hearing and speaking Spanish all day. My roomie keeps reminding me were like toddlers and need our 8-10 hours a night to absorb all the knowledge haha.

La Ibero is basically Loyola in Mexico, except the Mexicans here don’t look like the Mexicans in Chicago. It threw me at first. There are a lot of tall  blondes with blue or green eyes…weird. But like any city, there are the good and bad areas. Where I live, Chapultepec, is one of the nicest areas in the city. Santa Fe, where La Ibero is, is definitely a nice area. Consequently, a lot of Europeans live in these areas or I guess what you could call ‘criollos’ (European parents but the kids were born here). Just a lot of European/Spanish blood going on. Being a Jesuit, private university, there’s a lot of fabulous-ness and almost everyone drives to school since public transit isn’t always reliable. It’s a very very nice school, though. A lot of extra curriculars, a nice gym and free fitness classes (I’m taking some kickboxing, so watch out), and since its warm here like all the time, the whole school is open so only the classrooms have doors (yeah, that’s weird since I’m cold half of the year). The teachers are hilarious and sassy older Mexican ladies that love to call us gringos and invite us over to their house for breakfast. I’m feeling good about it.

The nightlife in Mexico is pretty decent. Condesa is the ‘cool’ spot to go where its a lot of cool bars and clubs and not crazy expensive like where I live. It’s a younger scene too, since Chapultepec/Polanco is more ‘old money’ so its fancy and expensive. But you can definitely have a good night for 200 pesos (about $20) because there usually isn’t a cover, or its free for ladies. Or you can just play up the ‘I’m foreign so buy me drinks’ thing 🙂

Downtown Mexico City is definitely worth checking out. A lot of museums, the Palacio Nacional, Cathedral which was built on top of Aztec ruins (like most of the city). Can’t really describe it, you just have to see it.

I’ll write down specifically some cool places to visit in another post, and as I get to see more.

Nos vemos!

Liz

So the whole Middle East thing got a little tiring, but rather than simply returning to Chicago, I will be spending this Fall at The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies, located, as the name suggests, in the Chaoyang district of Beijing, China.

Now China’s gonna be a tough nut to crack. Oman is a country of only 3 million, and I still had difficulty learning its intricacies in just one semester. China is, as I think we all know, a nation of over 1.3 billion people. Learning how this country lives and functions will be a round-the-clock endeavor. And just to make sure I don’t get lazy, I’m taking 18 credit hours, which includes 6 credit hours of intensive Chinese (equal to four semesters of Chinese in Chicago).

I’ve been in China now for about two weeks, and it still feels like a haven’t gotten a chance to rest. The timing of this program is a little strange. After a brief five day orientation period, barely enough to time to get over jet-lag, we set off on this semester’s two-week long excursion. We’ve camped in the Gobi, watched Tibetan monks pray, and visited the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang, home of the awesome Terra Cotta Army. After an intensive day of travel from Xia’he to Lanzhou via bus and Lanzhou to Xi’an via overnight train, I’ve finally had a chance to sit and write this lame opening entry. Stay tuned as I embarrass myself, teach myself, and hopefully learn what the Middle Kingdom is all about.

Hola mis amigos,

Woo, this past weekend was  incredible! The exchange program organized a two day trip to las Grutas de Cacajuamilpa, Taxco and Tepotzlan for the exchange students. We started in las Grutas (huge caves) about 4 hours south of Mexico city. The whole tour took about an hour and a half because its over 2 km of caves, but it was super interesting. We then got back on the bus to go to Taxco, a half hour away.

Taxco is the coolest little town known for silver…so I kinda, maybe bought some jewelery 🙂 Mexico has over 40 ‘pueblos magicos’ (Magic Towns), Taxco being one of them. These towns have rules that keep them very traditional and many of them have cobbled streets or the houses and shops all have to be a certain color (in Taxco, all building have to be white). I’ve been to other pueblos magicos before from my trip in high school, and they are just gorgeous. Living in the city and then visiting these towns gives you a totally different perspective on Mexico. Anyways, we toured the city, ended up in the centro and watched folkloric dancers, went in the cathedral, bought some (or a lot) of silver and then had dinner/drinks later. I’m pretty sure I’m going to retire here…

The next day we were up early to go to Tepotzlan, about a 2.5 hour trip back towards DF. Tepotzlan is another pueblo magico and is also known for this huge mountain that you can climb with a pyramid on top. Naturally, I chose to climb it, not knowing how tough it was going to be until we were a third of the way up and I was about to die. We toughed it out, got to the top, got attacked by these raccoon/possum things that found cheetos in my friend’s bag, and then were able to breathe and soak in the beautiful view. It was honestly one of the best moments of the trip. Then it started to rain so we booked it down the mountain to find food 🙂

FUTURE STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS: Take advantage of these trips. La Ibero is pretty good about organizing trips like this and they’re very economical for students (it was a little over $100 for the entire weekend, lodging and food included). Being able to travel to these small towns and see what they have to offer gives you an entirely new view on what Mexico is like. Yeah, DF is awesome, but that’s the city. Mexico is such a beautiful country, but you need to see what else is out there besides the city and La Ibero. I have such a huge Mexico bucket list from everyone telling me “you need to go here!” that I probably won’t have time to finish it.

Ok ok more posts to come muy prontos. Cuidense y nos vemos!

Liz

I am week into my 4 month stay in Prague. I know I have been negligent on my postings but my week has been a flurry of activity and exploration.  I am halfway through my intensive Czech language class and it has been both fascinating and difficult.   The language sounds like a mix between the Slavic languages and German. It does not come naturally to me at all but my teacher is fabulous. She takes our class on daily field trips to practice with the locals and to learn practical survival tips like how to ask for meat at the grocery store.

Outside of the classroom, USAC planned a plethora of activities for us so that we could know our way around. Here is a list of some of the fantastic experiences that I have been lucky enough to have as of now.

-River boat cruise on the Vltava River under the Charles Bridge. Some of the teachers from the university were there with their children and it was a lovely time to meet the knowledgeable individuals who will further my academic experience while I am abroad. Plus, the scenery was breathtaking.

-My politics teacher is very impressive. He speaks more than 6 languages and knows something about everything. He had a pre-class meeting because he will be absent for our first day of class. He is such a wealth of knowledge and I cannot wait for real class to start so he can share his wisdom with us.

-Saw a Czech Concert in Old Town Square. A couple of my new friends and I happened to stumble upon a Czech pop concert. It was hilarious and we danced like crazy fools.

– I was stopped by the metro police and showed my transportation pass ( it nearly gave me a heart attack). The public transportation system here is on the honor code. There are no attendants moderating the tickets but there are undercover security. If they show you their badge, you  then have to produce your ticket or you will be fined 500 crowns for not paying the metro, tram, or bus fare. We have transportation passes through USAC  (much like the handy-dandy Upass) so we do not have to worry about it. Nonetheless, it was a  little intimidating.

-Walked everywhere. I love to walk back in Chicago, but seriously I have never walked this much in my life.  I go on exploration walks with my friends every day and we literally walk for hours looking at the beautiful architecture and listening to all the different languages.

-Found the best Mexican food place in Prague. My favorite food is Mexican and I had prepared myself before I left to be in withdrawal for 4 months. However, I found a tasty little place, coincidentally enough, on America street.  I am gluten intolerant so I am not able to eat much of the traditional food. It consists of a lot of pork in sauces, bread dumplings,  baked goods, fried and picked cheese and beer. Most of this has wheat in it, so I have been finding  alternative options. I have had Chinese, Thai, Korean, and  Mexican food. 🙂

Overall, Prague is both a photographer and a political historian’s dream. Its captivating and picturesque buildings  combined with the intricate history of a country that has survived almost untouched since medieval times is the perfect place to study.  I love what I have seen in the past week and cannot  wait to experience more.

Happy reading!

Hola queridos!

Meet Lupita, Gonzalo Sr., Gina and Gonzalo Jr. They are my host family and they’re fabulous (see attached foto of Lupita y Gonzalo). Lupita is a Mexican version of Bette Midler with her appearance and attitude, but she also feeds you and loves to dance and fight with her husband. Gonzalo is a funny old guy that loves talking…about anything, really. And making fun of his wife. Gina is funny, cool, smart and interesting. Early 30s, good job, super fun to hang out with. And has awesome, crazy travel stories. Gonzalo Jr. loves to laugh, loves going to movies, super-smart, and knows all the cool places to go. After a month of living in the Melendez house, I’m starting to feel like part of the family. Since the Melendezes have hosted 34 (yes, 34) exchange students in the past 9 years, they are pretty much pro’s; both kids went to La Ibero so they are very familiar with the school.They have lived in the Chapultepec area for quite some time, so they know the ins and outs of the city and how to get around, places to avoid at night, the usual.

For me, living with a host family really helps me adjust to living in Mexico. But, I know people that prefer to do the apartment thing since they are used to being a little more independent, which I can see. Personally, it makes me more comfortable having a family around since I’m very used to being near my family. I guess it depends on what you are used to, but I would suggest to any prospective student to try the host family situation since it gives you that support system which is necessary when you are abroad in a foreign country, and it seriously helps your Spanish.

It’s nice to come home after a long day of school and commuting to a delicious dinner and have a family ask about your day and your classes and know that they are here to help.

I turned 20 today and I spent the day in the most beautiful city with some of the most amazing people (besides my friends and family back home of course). I will be honest I was a bit down about not being with all my friends back home for the festivities. However, I had a fabulous day.

It started with my  class singing happy birthday to me in Czech. It was hilarious and my teacher was adorable as she conducted the class.  Apparently, the happy birthday tune is the most universal and no matter the language, it  is always the same. Good to know.

I was able to Skype my mom, which is always a good thing. Advice to future students abroad; Skype will be your best friend. Calling is way too expensive and you can even see the person via video. Plus, then your family and friends do not have to buy international calling cards.  I loved being able to see her on my birthday!

My friends and I planned a couple trips  today which include: Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and Spain. It is so exciting and a dream come true.

We ended the night at a Mexican restaurant  (my favorite). It was a different one than the night before, but just as tasty. We then got our groove on at a local club and made some new friends with other students from all over the world.  Nutella with a candle  substituted as my birthday cake and was the perfect dessert. One of the girls from South Korea bought me flowers. Even though it has been such a short amount of time, your relationships with people grow quite rapidly  and I feel like I have known them for a long time.

Reflecting on my day, I am so grateful for everything.  Taking in the beauty with some good people is just pure jubilation. I couldn’t be more content if I tried.

Happy Reading!

Greetings from Italy!

Today was only the first day of classes but so much has happened already! Since getting off the plane last Wednesday, I feel like I have been constantly busy adapting to my new surroundings. I don’t feel like I’ve experienced complete culture shock but it will take some time to get used to the culture here. On the first night I arrived, we went on a walk around the neighborhood to check out the local sights. All the stores around campus were closed by 8 o’clock. This was strange since I’m used to the 24-hour superstores in the U.S. Over the past couple of days there have been tons of orientation activities and I’m excited to get into a regular routine where I’ll have some extra time to explore Rome and other parts of Europe.

We went to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum a couple days ago. It was cool to see the buildings that I had only previously seen in pictures. I also found out that many of the structures had been excavated less than one hundred years ago. Some of the buildings at the Forum were even more dilapidated than I expected. I also wish there had been more signs about what the structures were, so I would know what I was specifically seeing.

There was also a group trip to the beach yesterday. I love being outside in the sun so it was a really good relaxing day before the beginning of classes. I definitely want to scope out more beaches in the area during my time here.

Finally, tonight after dinner we took a quick trip to the Trevi Fountain. It was really pretty at night and I made sure to take a lot of pictures. I also got some great Tiramisu gelato across from the fountain. I already bought some earlier today on the way home from the grocery store, but I love Tiramisu so I couldn’t resist!

That’s it for today- I’ll make sure to keep updating this with details soon!

Ciao!

Okay, I apologize for the horribly cheesy pun that is the title of this post, but I could not resist. In all the tourist shops here, that phrase is printed on bags, t-shirts, sweatshirts and shorts. Because I will be resisting the temptation to buy a t-shirt in every color for my friends back home, I will simply document the phrase as the title of this post.

Today, I took my Czech Intensive Course final. I anxiously studied the night before in hopes that through the miraculous process of osmosis I would be able to memorize the hundreds of vocab words, phrases, and conjugations that I would need to know. Much to my surprise the exam went well and I was pleased with my results. My teacher, the saint that she is, graded our exams while we watched a movie so that we could relax and not fret over our grades.  My experience with the Czech class was very positive. My teacher really wanted us to do well and learn, not because it was a grade but because it would enhance our time in Prague and help us communicate with the locals. Our class appreciated her effort and patience so much that we made her a card and bought her flowers. She was overwhelmed with emotion and humbly thanked us. It was so nice to see how happy she was and I was again reminded of how nice it is to simply show individuals that you appreciate them. She also asked us if anyone would help teach her husband English. It looks like I will be helping out; I think it will be a neat experience.

The past two weeks have flown by. I feel completely comfortable with the city and know my way around fairly well. I consider myself lucky because I adjust to new places very easily and adapt quite rapidly. Sometimes I even forget that I am thousands of miles away from home, but then I hear Czech and I realize that I cannot understand them and I am quickly reminded just how far away I really am. However, the anxiety of daily transactions such as talking to the cashier at the potraviny (grocery store) has dissolved. I now feel able and confident enough to talk to the locals using my basic Czech.  The nuanced mystique has worn off and I feel like I am ready to explore the true Prague through the eyes of the people that call it home.

A couple things that I have learned in the last 2 weeks. When you travel, learn,at least the basics of the language that you are traveling in even if it is only a few words. I have observed and experienced that when you at least attempt to use the local language rather than being made fun of, the locals appreciate you making an effort. This is very true in the Czech Republic. I had experienced  a few less than friendly expressions when I only spoke in English in certain places. This is not to say that the Czech are not friendly. However, they are accustomed to tourists who come and go and do not necessarily care to delve deeper into their culture and language. The Czech are very proud people and even though English is taught in schools so that most younger people know it, the older generations speak only Czech. Because of their tumultuous history of being ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the German occupation of the former Czechoslovakia and the communist regime in the Eastern Bloc, the Czech people have had their fair share of language take-over. There have been periods where Czechs were forced to learn German or Russian. Now, the Czech people are very proud of their language and maintain it quite well despite the English language’s  attempt at a global take-over.

While there may be a time where I am exasperated at trying to communicate  and my limited Czech is getting me nowhere, I have to be calm and patient. I try to think of it in reverse, Americans are often less than patient with foreigners who do not speak English.  It is important to respect a host country’s culture and language is perhaps one of the most prominent aspect of a country’s culture. I always try to remember that I am a guest, and that if I try politely to use the words and phrases that I have learned I am showing the Czech people that I respect their hospitality.

Since I have used my phrases in restaurants and stores, the people have been overly pleasant and have even taken time out of their day to help me with some more phrases.  A little effort goes a long way.

I have a lot in store for this weekend so I will let you know how my adventures go soon.

Happy Reading! Na Shledanou! (Goodbye)

I’ve been in Italy for two weeks!

I feel like I’ve done so much in the past couple weeks, but at the same time it feels like I just got here. Over the past weekend, the school planned a trip to the Italian region of Umbria. All 200 students got on buses and we traveled to five smaller towns. Even the views during the bus ride were gorgeous! There are so many more hills here than in the Midwest at home. I was also surprised to see that there were so many towns even in rural areas. After a couple hours bus ride there were still a lot of buildings and towns dotting the landscape everywhere.

The first stop we made was in the town of Todi. It was on a hillside and we took a small shuttle up the side of the hill to get to the city. We went on a tour of the city and went in a church (the first of many I saw on this trip). After a short amount of free time, we were on the bus again traveling to Spoleto. This was where our hotel was located. At first our hotel seemed to be on the outskirts of a very quiet, small town; but when we walked about 20 minutes down the hill there were a lot more people and shops. I was really surprised that a short walk could reveal such different surroundings!

On Saturday, we went to Gubbio during the day. As in all the towns we visited, we went on a tour of the city. The tour in Gubbio was my favorite though, because the guide spoke a lot about when the buildings were built and how to identify the different time periods. There were a lot of buildings that were built during medieval times. These dwellings were mostly small towers that were a couple stories tall. I didn’t expect multiple- level buildings to be so common. The guide also showed us a feature of these buildings called “death doors”. These doors were originally used for funerals but later became useful for security because they were located a couple feet off the ground. Because of this, people used movable staircases (basically stepladders) to enter these houses. That night, we made a quick stop in Foligno to see how olive oil is made and got back on the bus once again to go back to the hotel in Spoleto.

Finally on Sunday we went to Perugia. There were a lot of cool shops and the views from the center of town were really beautiful. I even went to the Perugina store and got some of the famous Baci chocolates. They were pretty melted by the time we got back to Rome since we had been outside and on a warm bus all day but they were still pretty tasty.

Overall the weekend was fun. There were a lot of tours and we didn’t get much free time, but it was cool to go to some small towns that I wouldn’t have to gone myself. Although its only week 2, I’m already pretty busy with school during the week. I’m excited for this weekend though; since it’s the first time I’ve had a weekend to do whatever I want in Rome!

I have been in Prague for 3 weeks now. It is strange how time passes. In some moments, it feels like time is nonexistent and I am simply standing still in awe of the beauty that I see on a daily basis. Other times, I cannot believe how quickly the sun sets and rises each day and I want it so slow down.

Perhaps, my favorite thing to do in this beautiful city is to simply meander along the cobblestone streets. Sure, I love having a plan and visiting specific places and museums; however, I feel that I have perfected the skill of aimless wanderings. Many times instead of taking the Metro back from school, I decide to take the scenic route and walk. I feel so alive walking the streets, admiring the architecture, hearing the diverse languages and truly allowing myself to be an observer.  I find it fascinating to interact with all  the other tourists and learn about the various cultures. Prague  is truly an international city and it is a fascinating place to study and live.

Prague is a very inspirational place. Surrounded by the history of some of the best writers, composers, and artists, I feel the need to be constantly discovering art. It is very easy to do so because there are exhibitions on every corner and the city is filled with statues and artwork. I feel as though I am in a constant state of discovery, open to new knowledge. Tonight, I had a perfect moment while writing my first paper for my Jewish Studies class. I heard the tinkle of piano keys so I opened my windows and listened to my neighbor across the courtyard  practice. It was truly a beautiful moment and turned an ordinarily dull paper writing session into  an inspiring session where words poured across the page effortlessly.

As for how my classes are going, I never thought college would allow so many fieldtrips. In almost every class here, the professors plan fieldtrips.  It is fantastic and allows for true hands on learning. For instance, in my Jewish Studies and Holocaust class, I went to the New Jewish Cemetery which house Franz Kafka’s burial ground. Ivy was sprawled over all the gravestones and created a very mystical  and spiritual feeling.  Although, I have not seen the famous Old Jewish Cemetery yet ( this is planned as a later field trip), this cemetery was one of the most beautiful shrines to man kind that I have ever seen.

Tomorrow, I am going on a day trip to Kutna Hora which is a very important medieval town for the Czech Republic.  During the 13th century silver was found in Kutna Hora and the supply was so massive that it suppled one third of all of Europe’s silver.  The silver discovery provided great wealth to the King and made the Czech crown highly sought after by the rest of the European monarchies. Kutna Hora is also famous for the “bone church”  which was created by priests. While mining for silver, a large amount of bodies were unearthed. Because the priests viewed this burial as sacred, they didn’t want the miners to simply discard  the human remains. Instead, they  took them and utilized them as decor for the church in what they thought was the most respectful way of honoring the dead.  While there are a few other churches of this manner, in typical Czech fashion, the “bone church” is grander than the rest.

I will update soon. Happy Reading!