The GoGlobal Blog

Study Abroad Resources

Search

Category: Uncategorized

My American Problem

My American Problem

By |

“Just say you’re Canadian.”

Before heading for foreign soil, Americans are often told to brush off questions of nationality by saying they’re Canadian.  The U.S. isn’t exactly the darling of the global community. And, I mean, it’s close enough, right?

The River Lee

For some, fudging the border lines is a non-issue. But for me, I have a hard time claiming I’m from a country I’ve only visited three or four times in my life. Luckily, I’ve never been in a situation where I had to lie, and I figured it wouldn’t be much of a problem while in Ireland

Four days in, though, and I’ve heard from a few locals that leaving the U.S. out of it might be the safest route.

As soon as I arrived in Cork, I struck up a conversation with a taxi driver as he drove me to my new home. When I mentioned to him that I’m a journalism major, the conversation quickly turned toward Syria. I wasn’t at my best after a six hour flight and a four hour bus ride, and I had a difficult time following him. I do, however, remember him telling me that it was probably safer if I avoid discussing politics with the locals.

Later, after I had settled into my room, I introduced myself to one of my Irish roommates. She’d been to the U.S. before, and while she said she admired our diverse wildlife, she did have some decisive opinions about how wasteful we all were. She couldn’t get over how big everything was there – the roads, the cars, the food. There isn’t even public transportation, she said.

All my encounters with the locals so far have been beyond pleasant, but I worry when I walk down the street. Not for my safety, no; I worry that they’ll recognize me as an American by the way I dress or the slightly dazed look on my face and think I’m yet another lost tourist. I fear that my slightly nasal midwestern accent will make them assume that I drive a tank and only eat McDonalds.

University College Cork

What I want is to be recognized as an individual. I want to be able to discuss politics and to hear other views. As I slip further into the culture here, I’m certain that my fears will vanish. I’ll learn the right way to approach a touchy subject. I will be proud of where I’m from without discrediting where I am. I’ll recognize that I have just as many preconceived notions to banish as others have of me. Hopefully, a frank discussion and a pint will be all it takes to air out those stereotypes.

But, at least for now, I finally understand why sometimes it’s easier to say you’re Canadian. Even if the Canadians don’t appreciate it.

 

 

School, Vogue’s Fashion Night Out, Segovia

School, Vogue’s Fashion Night Out, Segovia

By |

I started school this week in Madrid. I am studying at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, and I have to say, I like Loyola’s campus MUCH more and it makes me appreciate what an amazing school I get to go back to in the states. 5/6 of my classes are in Spanish, so I am being culturally immersed. I am taking Spanish Comp I, Comp II, Advanced Spanish I, and a Spanish Literature class, but my favorite class so far is my Spanish Medical Terminology class.

Earlier this week I visited Retiro Park and walked around with one of my friends. We were supposed to go boating in the pond in the middle of the park, but arrived after the sun was down, so instead we walked around, ate ice cream, took pictures and soaked in the culture. I plan to go back again later this week and try to boat again. There are so many diverse areas around the park, and each time I explore, I find something new- new gardens, sculptures, even some peacocks! I enjoy running through the park with my roommate and exploring new trails as well.

The most fun part of my week have been the last two days. Last night was Madrid’s Fashion Night Out, and me and some friends dressed up and went out to Goya Street to take part in the fashion festivities. We shopped along the streets, took pictures, listened to music, and, of course, observed Spanish fashion. We also went to a fancy restaurant along the way and split croquettes (similar to mozzarella sticks) and a bottle of Moscato.

Early this morning all the USAC students headed to Segovia. We took a tour of the beautiful city, which is exactly what I thought Madrid would be like. Segovia is a little town about an hour away from Madrid with small, cobblestone streets, beautiful, colorful houses, and cafes and shops along the street. We took a tour of the Segovia Castle, the Segovia Palace, had some ice cream, and went to a restaurant that serves suckling pig. Suckling pig is a roasted baby pig, served whole. They cut the pig is by taking a dinner plate and cutting the pig into big portions, then afterwards breaking the plate on the floor. Though I wasn’t adventurous enough to eat a leg of the pig, I did try a bite of my friends, and it was decent. At the end of our tour in Segovia, we saw the famous aqueducts which are the oldest in the country, and reminded me of the Roman aqueducts I saw while in Rome a couple years ago. Before we got back, we viewed the gardens at the summer palace about 15 minutes away from Segovia. The landscape was beautiful, and the amount and intricacy of ponds, mazes, and bronze statues were baffling.

Tomorrow night we are planning on going to El Kapital, the biggest nightclub in Madrid.

Hasta Manana!

Things I have observed:

-The women are skinny here… I think its because they smoke so much.

-There are more people out at 3am on the weekends in the major plazas than any other time of the day.

-The elderly Spanish women are the most elegant and best dressed people I have ever seen.

-I was homesick early this week, very frustrated with this new culture, new classes, being away from loved ones, but others are feeling the same way. Things are better now.

-Everything seems so cheap here, and then you convert Euros to US dollars…

-Futbol is much more than a sport here. Spaniards live and breathe futbol.

Day 27: The Final Week

Day 27: The Final Week

By |

It’s my final week in Roma and I must say, I am going to miss this place. Before I get all sentimental, let me tell you all about my last couple of days in the beautiful city of Rome…

After getting back from Paris, all I could really think about was my boyfriend coming to visit in just 2 days! Tuesday finally arrives and he arrived in Rome safe and sound 🙂 After Brian arrived I showed him around JFRC and ventured to the city. Because he only had 4 days in Rome, we ran around the city as I tried to show him everything I could before we had to meet my class at the theater. My Italian professor thought it would be cool if we saw Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet in Italian at a theater that was modeled after the Shakespeare Globe Theater. Now, I know very little Italian, but it was so beautiful and really amazing to see the performance even in a foreign language.

Over the next couple of days Brian and I did A LOT of sight seeing! The Vatican, St. Peter’s, the Colosseum, the Roman Ruins and much much more. But, I managed to take him to everything that I had seen over the past 4 weeks in 4 days! I had a blast showing him around Rome and being able to experience everything with him 🙂 Sadly, those last 4 days flew by and before we knew it we were getting ready for the farewell dinner.

The farewell dinner was at a beautiful restaurant in Balduina called The View, and it definitely lived up to its name! The whole restaurant looked over the city and the food was fantastic! Having dinner as a campus one last time was so much fun. Eating, drinking wine and talking about the past month was the perfect end to the perfect trip. I had the time of my life in Italy! I met some amazing people that I never would have met (even though we went to the same school) and I went on so many adventures and created countless memories. Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I ever made, because it gave me a chance to see the world and the different cultures within it and experience it with new friends. It was my first time going to Rome, but not my last. I was so sad to leave Rome, but extremely excited for what was ahead. Brian and I were traveling to London in the morning and I couldn’t wait. I said good bye to all of my new friends and my home for the past 4 weeks and off to London we went! Arrivederci Roma! I’ll be back!!

And, as a parting note, I just want to say…All of you out there that are questioning studying abroad, your only question should be “where?!” It is the experience of a life time and you will never regret it. I know I never will 🙂

Romeo & Juliet in Italian

At the Colosseum!

The “six pack” at The View of the farewell dinner… and Professore Martinez haha.

Roman Ruins.
Thank God for Calabria!

Thank God for Calabria!

By |

Ciao amici!

Here’s a short post on one of the most amazing things that have happened to me in Rome. Long live the Italian people!!

Yesterday was my first full Sunday in Rome since the semester started, so I thought it would be great to go to the Pope’s Angelus prayer at noon to get into the Roman/Vatican spirit.

I got to Saint Peter’s Square at 10:30 a.m. so as to get a “nice view” of the window the Pope uses to give his speech. As we are technically still in summer and the weather had been nice last week, I was totally unprepared for three hours of pouring rain. No umbrella, no jacket, no raincoat or anything to protect me from the water and wind, I was just standing stoically in the middle of the piazza, wet as if just out of the shower, water dripping everywhere from eyebrows to my shirt. No money in my pockets, I couldn’t even buy one of the dozens of umbrellas and raincoats that street vendors offered me. To say that I was just “wet” is an understatement, and everyone–the “dry people” that is–just looked at me with pity, entertainment and, in some cases, surprise, that I was still there and not under the roof. (You cannot see the window from under the side arches of the piazza).

Well…although in hindsight I know everything was worth it, at the moment it seemed like a terrible idea that I had gone to the Vatican at all.

A good twenty minutes into my weather odyssey, a mother and his son (who was about my age and wore a Yankees hat) signed me to come and share their mid-size umbrella with them. I don’t speak Italian, they didn’t speak English, but they still found a place for me to protect from the rain. It turns out that they were visiting Rome, and were originally from Calabria. We could barely understand one another, but they were so kind I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that they would host a complete stranger, soaking wet, under their umbrella. Moreover, all the time they were smiling, gently. I have their faces fixed into my mind.

When the Angelus ended with the benediction from the Pope, I thanked them and returned to the train station to catch the train back to campus. As I seated, wet, in the station, all I could think about was these to kind calabresi.

 

Grazie mille, Calabria!

 

 

Roman Travels

Roman Travels

By |

I apologize for not updating the blog sooner, but it’s been difficult due to my travels in and around Rome. In the past week I’ve visited the neighboring region of Umbria twice and have had the opportunity to explore the city of Rome as extensively as I want.

Umbria

The weekend of the 6th served as the first study trip for the Rome Center. The school made all the preparations for us, including transportation, hotel, and, for the most part, our meals. We traveled to Rome’s neighboring region (akin to states in the United States), Umbria. The trip was three full days, from Friday to Sunday. We stayed in the town of Spoleto and we visited the towns of Spello, Perugia, and Bevagna.

Spoleto, Spello, and Perugia

Spoleto was our home base and our hotel was located there. It’s a small town in comparison to Rome, as were all the towns we visited, but there was still a lot to see. Perhaps my favorite part of Spoleto was the giant bridge, named Ponte delle Torri, that also doubled as an aqueduct. The bridge itself was 400 feet tall and almost that long. Seeing that bridge, which was about 800 years old, really brought history to life. I tried to imagine how it was built, and in doing so I appreciated the technology we have today.

We also toured the nearby towns of Spello and and Bevagna. Both of these towns each had their own unique characteristics. Bevanga had a number of artisan shops that we were able to tour. These included a medieval candle maker, a medieval/Renaissance silk maker, a medieval paper maker, and an ancient Roman coin mint. The town itself was nice, with narrow streets, little traffic, and a number of small shops that were off the beaten path. It was fun and, being close to Rome, it will be easy to go back if I choose to.

Spello was also a great town to tour. It was much hillier than Bevagna or Spoleto and it has a unique (and awesome) ‘flower culture,’ in which residents compete to have the nicest flowers outside their homes (see the photos). Such flowers led to some great scenes. The town itself is also situated on a hill and offers some amazing views if you feel like hiking a bit. The vistas I saw there rival views seen in the United States.

Overall, the weekend trip to Umbria was a great experience. It was a good primer on traveling and it offered us more to see than the “generic” sights of Rome. If we weren’t immersed in Italian culture yet, we surely were by the end of the trip.

Rome

Now that classes have started and I have settled into a more solid routine, I have had the opportunity to explore Rome, mostly on my own. My class schedule allows me, on most days, to leave campus and explore the city for most of the day and return in time for class. I certainly took advantage of that this past week when I explored Rome off the beaten path.

To detail all of my city travels would be cumbersome, so I’ll stick to my favorite parts. Last Wednesday, when I didn’t have class all day, I wandered down to Piazza Navona, which is about an hour from campus by bus and walking (it’s not far across the river from the Vatican for those who are familiar with the area). From the Piazza I walked down side streets looking for a 400 year old library I had researched. I eventually found the library and of course entered it. It was completely free of tourists and I could take my time looking around. See the photos below for more detail on the library.

A panoramic view of the library.

On Thursday I had my first on-site Art in Rome class, which was at the ancient Roman Forum. There was a slight admission fee but it paid off. Our teacher, John Nicholson, has been teaching the class for several decades and knows all there is to know about the Forum (and in fact anywhere in Rome). It was amazing to be at the Forum for a class on the Forum. Instruction certainly occurred regarding certain architectural features that have survived the centuries, but it was also a history lesson. It’s difficult to describe the difference between a history lesson far removed from the site of an event’s occurrence and an on-site lesson. All I can say is that being on-site makes all the difference. It’s almost worth studying abroad just for that, if you’re as big a history nerd as I am, but studying abroad is good for other reasons as well.

Finally, on Friday (which is always an off day for traveling) I went back down to Piazza Navona, explored in more detail the area around the Pantheon, and ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant in a small piazza called Piazza dell’Oratorio. The night was made when I heard the lofty sounds of a violin echoing through the streets as I ate.

So far it’s been a good time in and around Rome. My next goal for exploring is to visit farther regions and cities like Tuscany, Florence, and Naples. Beyond that I plan on visiting other countries in Europe- after all, that’s what study abroad is for, right?

 

Bienvenue!

Bienvenue!

By |

Bonjour tout le monde et je suis desolée pour le retard! Je m’appelle Marli, comme Bob (as the French tell me).  I am a rising junior at Loyola University Chicago studying anthropology with a minor in French studies. Who could possibly know what I’ll be able to do with that; but c’est la vie, vrai? Now, I am studying at Université de Pau et des Pays de L’adour (Université de Pau for short) as an international student (étudiants étrangers). This will be my second week here in the lovely, small city of Pau, France! To be honest, a lot of people don’t really know Pau exists. I live in the Aquitaine Region of southwest France, in what the French call: le département de Les Pyrenées Atlantiques (the Pyrenees). This petite ville (small city) is not well known to be full of tourist attractions but offers an array of beautiful scenery and a few famous castles. I recently visited le Chateau de Henri IV le week-end dernier (last week-end) and found myself absolutely speechless. This enormous castle stood against this beautiful backdrop of the Pyrenees like something out of a fairytale or Disney logo. From perfectly manicured bushes and landscapes, everything looked immaculate!

As far as language barriers go, I have had my share of unfriendly remarks and snickers because of my inability to speak French. I have also had university students call me “mignon” which means “cute” because they find my franglish endearing. I have to say that it is a bit difficult to try and salvage what little French phrases that I know because most French people aren’t very patient. For example, when I am checking out at the grocery store I usually greet le caissier with a “Bonjour” or “Bonsoir” depending on the time of day. Side note: It is not very acceptable to say ‘bonjour’ any time after 7 p.m. (even if it’s the only word you can think of at the time)! As I put my groceries into my bag, le caissier tells me the price of all my items. In my haste, I rambled in English and I repeated the total back to her, in French, to make sure I heard correctly. Apparently, you don’t do that. While I was reaching into my purse to look for my euros, le caissier immediately writes the total down on a piece of paper (like I didn’t see it on the register) so I’d have both a verbal and visual understanding. Her expression was bothered and she rudely gave me my change. I could feel that she didn’t want to be pestered with my less than accurate French speaking or my incoherence and “inability” to read a register screen. But this was only one encounter. Discouraged, I hadn’t tried to speak French while I went to the grocery store or to the small university mall. One day, two native French students told me to only speak to them in French whether I thought I would be wrong or right in my responses. So, I did. And guess what? I was told that I was not as bad as I made it seem. I was told that French people are no more confident with their English than foreigners are with their French. I made the mistake by inadvertently forcing le caissier to understand my comfort language of english rather than forcing myself to step out of my comfort zone and speak in hers. Since then, I have had nothing but pleasant experiences while shopping and going around about the ville. I have noticed that people are more amiable and helpful when I speak a little French than when I ask for help in English.

“Anfractuous” – Week II

“Anfractuous” – Week II

By |

 

Perugia, Umbria, Italy
Perugia, Umbria, Italy

“Anfractuous” : characterized by windings and turnings; sinuous; circuitous.

Our first weekend in Rome was well spent getting to know fellow JFRC-ers and employes of JFORCE on our orientation trip in Umbria, Italy. We traveled through the most “anfractuous” roads you could imagine. One of my favorite stops (as pictured above in the panorama) was at Perugia.

Interesting enough, Perugia is the city in which the Amanda Knox case took place, giving us a plethora of conversation during our lengthy trolley ride up the side of the mountain. It was interesting to hear the different sides of the case coming from those who had heard about it in the U.S. and those who had heard about it in Europe. One of my favorite staff members here, Dr. Susanna Cavallo, has followed the case from the beginning and believed whole-heartedly in the innocence of Amanda Knox. Others disagreed and debates ensued.

Along the trip we visited ceramic factories, ancient cities, candlestick makers, ancient money-smiths and silk weavers amongst other awe-inspiring places.

But in general, my favorite part about the trip thus far, and I believe I speak for my friends here as well when I say this, was meeting the notorious Professor Alexander (Sander) Evers. I feel as if we are in a movie right now while writing this blog and this is where the music dramatically climaxes and now it’s time for a simple sentence why Evers is such a phenomenal person to be around should be written whilst loud music with drums in the background go crazy, but instead I will tell you the story of my first encounter with him and hopefully that will give you a good idea.

We were all exhausted after having spent the good part of 2 hours in an un-air-conditioned ceramics shop and then a lengthy bus ride towards our destination: food. As our 4 packed buses of students pulled up to a peaceful villa I knew the day’s adventures had only just begun. We all sat down, having a nice relaxing meal with nice relaxing wine and nice relaxing small talk, wanting to just revel in the coolness of the place and the hospitality we were being shown. As we made our ways slowly out to the garden area I heard the loud booms of a voice that everyone (even within only a week) had begun to recognize. There was Evers, making his way onto the patio to join the students. Chandni, one of the SLAs on the trip, gathered my friends and I around Evers and asked for a picture to be taken. As a normal group of human beings, we took a normal picture together, see?

Sander Evers and the Students in Umbria
Sanders Evers and the Students in Umbria

And then the chaos began. Evers looked at us and with that devilish gleam in his eye he said, “Let’s get one with you all holding me up.” Of course, as I am sure anyone meeting this man will come to find out, it is hard to say no to him. So we proceeded to pick him up for a picture, me and three of my male friends. Chandni then played the devil’s advocate and gave use the bright idea to throw Evers in the pool in the middle of the garden. As we made our way towards his waterlogged doom he was shrieking in his not-so-masculine-anymore voice that it was time for us to put him down. This egged us on further until we got to the very side of the pool and ALAS! we did not in fact throw him in. Pleas from him and now Chandni prompted us to put him down as gently as possible, although that failed to work as well as we thought it could. As gravity pulled half of his body back to earth, the other half proceeded to pull my sunglasses from around my neck and what happened next was a perfect snapshot in my mind. Picture this: a rather tall Danish man (correct me if I’m wrong) tilting to one side with every chance of entering into the pool now on his own accord, yelling in words we cannot understand, one leg in the air and both arms flailing trying to balance his weight, crashing down with one large foot directly onto the fallen sunglasses that anyone else would have been able to miss.

Everyone was in shock, yet no one could stop laughing. With tears of laughter streaming down my face, I looked at Evers and I spoke my first words to him; “How does that happen? There were so many other places to put your foot, how does that happen?” He proceeded to apologize profusely but I could not even be mad at the hilarious spectacle I just witnessed. Suffice to say, it was a great introduction.

I now have him in a history class and I sit in the front row every day.

If you get a chance to come to Rome I suggest (so far) that you make sure to meet two specific people – Susanna and Evers.

Cheers,

Megan

Roma Roma Roma

Roma Roma Roma

By |

So… I know I’ve been a particularly bad blogger considering we are already into week 4 and I haven’t even tried to tell you all of the wonderful things I have been up to in Rome! That’s the thing though, there is so much to do in Rome and between classes and exploring, there has barely been a minute to catch my breath, so forgive me.

Orientation week was… exhausting, but 100% necessary. The Sla’s kept us constantly going with jam packed days. We went on tours of the neighborhood we live in (Monte Mario), had a scavengar hunt downtown (the Pantheon and St. Peter’s basilica were just 2 of the stops on the hunt…), had crash courses in Italian so we could survive the first week before classes officially kicked off, went to the Colloseum and Forum, and ate a lot of gelato. I don’t think I’ve ever been more exhausted than during orientation week but it was an awesome welcome to an even better city. We ended orientation week with a trip to Umbria, where we got to explore these awesome little towns that one usually expects to find in Italy (Rome is defintitely a biiig city, not a cute little village.)

Classes started on the 2nd of september and so far they are great. I am taking Writing in Rome, Church in the World, Italian 101, and Intro to Opera. I am beyond impressed with the professors here, they are incredibly talented and intelligent people. My writing class is easily my favorite as it is onsite. We generally read short stories set in Rome before class and then spend class visiting the sites mentioned in the stories. It’s pretty awesome to be in the same locations these writers were inspired by.

So far the highlight of this week was definitely the start of Calcio! I was weary at first because I haven’t played soccer since I was in middle school but I’m really glad I signed up for it. Most of the students here participate in Calcio; we get together every wednesday and have ourselves some good ol’ Italian soccer matches. Afterward everyone heads to a local restuarant for pizza and beer; it doesn’t get much better than that. While my body feels slightly broken, Calcio was a much needed energy release from the past few weeks. Don’t get me wrong, Rome is beyond incredible, but when you live with 180 students and you all take class in the same place that you live, tension eventually starts to build up 🙂

This weekendend I am heading out to Naples for a day trip, and then moving onto the Amalfi coast before it gets too cold!

I will write again once I get back from the weekend!

Ciao!

 

Let’s create a semester called “Abroading, this whole study thing isn’t working out…

Let’s create a semester called “Abroading, this whole study thing isn’t working out…

By |

The first two weeks of classes are over and there are just 11 more weeks to go! Wow, that’s kind of a lot. This is why I propose we create semesters where the only thing students do is travel, hence “Abroading.” It could work, it could be a thing, but it probably won’t and that is why I have to continue to go to class for 11 more weeks. *SIGH*

In the past two weeks I have become more acclimated to Spain through food, travel, and some great friends. My first “night out” was Madrid’s Fashions Night Out. This event is a global fashion party in short. It takes place in major cities around the world including my very own Chicago. As an avid, self-proclaimed, lover of shoes, defender of bags fashionista, of course I jumped at the chance to be a part of Madrid’s Fashions Night Out. Dressed up with my make-up done, hair straightened, and some of my favorite pieces of jewlery I wandered my way around Madrid’s high end shopping district. Every store was lit up like Christmas. Some of the most elegant women and classiest men were in attendance. Fashion designers, boutique owners, and Madrid’s socialites made their way around the numerous parties. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres were passed like their was no tomorrow and I was a part of it all. I purchased a pair of black earrings while enjoying a mojito at a store called Rimini. I then made my way to a men’s tuxedo and fine apparel store where I enjoyed my own personal mini champagne bottle. By the end of the night I was enjoying what I do best-people watching. As I sat on a bench, I realized that I have a pretty awesome thing going here in Spain. At 1 AM when parties were still in full swing I headed home thinking of all the beautiful people and things I saw.

The next day I was off to Segovia with the other students from my program. Segovia is about an hour and a half drive from Madrid, Nestled in hills and mountains, it truly is a beautiful site. Our first stop was El Alcázar de Segovia. This castle or fort, like many in

Spain came from the Arabs but was built from Roman foundations. 1120, around 32 years after the city of Segovia returned to Christian hands, during the time when Alfonso VI of León and Catile reconquered lands to the south of the Duero River down to Toledo and beyond, was the first time we see this fort referenced in history. Alfonso the VIII and his wife made this Alcázar their home during which time most of the work was done to create the stone fortress that exists today. The inside of the castle is breathtaking with picturesque views of the country side and amazingly detailed ceilings and art work. The last stop of the castle was the trek up the 152 stairs of the tallest tower in Alcázar to the top of the castle; my favorite part of the visit.

After the visit to Alcázar we had free time in the town and I chose to visit the cathedral-Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción y de San Frutos. This cathedral was breathtaking, not only from the architecture on the outside but inside as well. The cathedral was built between 1525-1577 in a late Gothic style. The inside is comprised of numerous chapels, meeting rooms, a courtyard, and one of the most beautiful organs I have every seen. The bell tower reaches 90 meters or about 295 feet!

To end the day we enjoyed a very traditional meal of Segovia-Cochinillo. Cochinillo is basically baby pig, it means Suckling pig. It is a pig of about 2-6 weeks old, cooked whole by roasting. Cochinillo is so tender that it can be cut with just a simple plate!  The process of
cutting the cochinillo is actually quite funny because to finish the process you throw the plate on the ground when you are done! My piece included one of the pig hoofs and the tail! Watch the video below to see how it is cut!

Stay tuned to see where else this semester takes me!

 

International Living in an International City

International Living in an International City

By |

Over the past few weeks I have ventured out to explore more of Beijing. Most of the time people in our group end up going to Sanlitun, the embassy district where there are many international stores and international people. Almost every time I am out I meet someone from a new country ranging from Russia, the Congo, Germany and Pakistan. On average every expat or international traveler I meet speaks 3 languages and has lived in at least 2 different countries excluding their home country.

There are some people who go on dates of business meetings and everyone speaks different languages and Chinese is their common ground. It’s so fascinating to realize how international Beijing is. Even though about 1% of Beijing’s population are international compared to 20% in New York, the community that is present among expats appears much stronger. There are not separate areas for each ethnicity, but rather just common gathering areas for all nationalities. I’m picking up bits and pieces of new languages while studying intensive Chinese. Everyone is very willing to help and have amazing connections within China and around the world from being so well traveled.

I never thought about living internationally until studying abroad in China. Living as an expat can be extremely challenging, but also very rewarding. The people you meet and the community and support you develop between one another is unlike any relationships I have back in the United States.