Still Living the Not-So-Real Life in Madrid

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Name: Jessie Koljonen

Year: Class of 2013

Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

Major: Behavioral Biology and Spanish

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With all my travels throughout Spain and around Europe, you’d think that I barely spend any time in Madrid! But don’t fret, even though I’ve been jet-setting all around, I have also been taking advantage of all that Madrid has to offer. My Spanish is infinitely better, I feel so much more comfortable navigating around the city, and the Spanish way of life is the norm for me now. (Eating dinner at 9:30pm? That’s early! They don’t refrigerate the milk? Doesn’t weird me out anymore! Navigating around the metro? Like second nature to me now!)

Sometimes, I walk around Madrid in the evening/night time to take part of the night life, explore new bars and tapas restaurants, and try cool new foods – some of which I’ve never even heard of before. The other night, I was with my friends and we had a nice tapas dinner of ox tail, snails, cheese, and olives. It was all delicious! My favorite was the cheese, I love cheese probably a little more than I should. Here in Spain, there is this great type of cheese called Manchego Cheese, which is to-die-for! So delicious, I could eat it all day. The bartender was so nice, and he recommended all the great tapas for us to try. Gracias, hombre! That same night, we went to another tapas bar and tried these awesome mushroom crepes, steak filet with brie cheese, and these delicious salmon rolls stuffed with cheese, apples, and onions. So great!

Another must-do Spanish experience is go to a bullfight. A few weeks ago, I went to an authentic Spanish bullfight. It was so cool! I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to, the whole thing was actually kind of beautiful and artsy. The way the matador interacted with the bull was almost like a dance, and the way he moved was so graceful. I expected to be horrified at the sight of the bullfight, but I really enjoyed it, and definitely felt so very Spanish. I also didn’t realize that bullfighting is such a team sport. There is the matador, who does most of the work and interacts the most with the bull, but he has at least 4 or 5 matador helpers who help him throughout the process, especially in the beginning. Then they sort of wander to the side while the matador gets ready to get down to business. There were 3 different matadors – 2 guys and one girl, who each took turns with different bulls. One of the guy matadors was even younger than me! Something really crazy happened when the woman matador made her debut, I think that she was the most famous and most experienced of the 3 matadors, because the crowd cheered more for her, so she tried doing a crazy little trick, but she ended up having a little incident with the bull. As they let the bull out of the pen, she kneeled on the ground, cape in hand, waiting for the bull to charge. As the bull charged, he came right to her, she didn’t have time to get up, and the bull basically ran her over – tumbled her around a few times, and then the bull came back and did it again. He literally trampled all over her, I thought for sure she was a goner. Luckily, she got back up but was too injured to continue with the bullfight. There definitely must have been some broken bones.  I learned later that she was in critical condition in the hospital. Eek! Wow! I could never do something like that.

 

 

 

One weekend, our Hopkins program also organized a tour of Madrid de las Austrias – which was basically the old part of the city of Madrid. For me, it was interesting to listen to and learn about the history of some of the places that I had already explored – like the Plaza Mayor and the Plaza de Oriente (where the Royal Palace of Madrid is). We started the tour in the Plaza de Oriente, where there is a collection of majestic sculptures and statues of different kings of Spain – almost 20 statues – all made from “piedra caliza” – a unique type of stone. After, we walked a little and explored the outside of the Royal Palace, which I had already explored with one of my friends a few weeks before. But I love the palace, so it was nice to be able to see it again and learn a little more about it. It’s huge, it is the biggest palace of Occidental Europe, with 3,419 rooms! Inside, there are many collections of paintings, armor, sculptures, and other beautiful royal things collected by the kings and queens of Spain throughout the years. I still haven’t taken a tour of the inside of the palace, but it is definitely on my list of things to do before I leave Madrid.

We also visited the Catedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almundena, which is right next to the Royal Palace, which I had also visited a few weeks ago. It has a modern style inside, with lots of bright and fun colors. Even though I had already been there, the tour guide enlightened me about some of the history of the place. It is indeed relatively new, it was constructed in 1883 under the vision of the architect Marques de Cubas. But it was under rennovation in 1944 under different architects – Fernando Chueca Goitia and Carlos Sidro. Finally, it went through one more renovation to welcome and honor Pope John Paul II, who came to Madrid in 1993 to dedicate and christen the new cathedral. After our visit to the Catedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena, we went to the Real Monasterio de la Encarnacion. Though we didn’t go in, we learned about how it was a convent for nuns funded by Queen Margarita de Austria, the wife of King Felipe III in the 17th century. There are also very important collections of art inside the monastery.

We continued our tour of Old Madrid with a visit to the Plaza de España, where there are statues of Don Quijote de la Mancha and his sidekick Sancho Panzo, on their horses. These statues are a dedication to Miguel de Cervantes, the author of the famous and classic Spanish book Don Quijote.

Other places we saw on our tour included the Casa de Cisneros, where Benito Jimenez de Cisneros lived, who was a famous nephew of Cardinal Cisneros, an important figure in the religious world. We stopped at Mercado de San Miguel, which I had also been to before, which is one of my favorite markets here in Madrid – lots of great food in tapas sized plates, great for snacking! We wandered through the Plaza Mayor and finally ended our tour in Plaza de Sol, a great central part of Madrid.

Another cool Madrid must-do thing that I’ve done lately was go to El Rastro. El Rastro is this giant outdoor flea market on Sundays. It’s packed with people, and they sell everything from clothes, shoes, and purses, to computer parts and random electronic supplies. It was kind of overwhelming for even me, the avid shopper, but I’m glad that I experienced the craziness that it was.

Another activity the Hopkins Program planned for us was a night at the theater. We saw the play “Veinticinco años menos un dia (The tea is ready!)”. It was a Spanish comedy, with parts of it in English, about the interactions between a husband and wife after he finds out she has a lover. It was interesting but probably not my most favorite play in the world. Overall, I loved going to see the play, I really enjoy getting dressed up and experiencing cultural events like the theater.

It was a Spanish national holiday about a week ago, a “Dia Festivo” – and it was Spain’s Day of the Armed Forces. In the morning, there was a huge military parade, and I woke up early to watch all the soldiers, dressed in uniform, and the tanks rolling down the road in celebration of this day. The king of Spain even made a appearance, it was a pretty cool parade.

Because it was a Spanish national holiday, all the museums were free to the public, so I went to the Naval Museum with some of my friends. It was cool to see all the old cannons, weapons, uniforms, and maps from Spain’s history.

 

 

In addition to going to the theater with the Hopkins Madrid program, I also went to another play, Las Meninas, with three of my friends. It was quite an interesting play, and it also tied into what I had been learning in my Arte class. The play was about the famous painting, “Las Meninas” by Diego Velazquez, and told the story of the characters and the events happening around the time of the painting in the royal court. It was cool to see this painting somewhat “come to life”, and I also really appreciated it more since we have been studying Velazquez in the Prado like nobody’s business in Arte. Que chachi!

Another cool thing I did here in Madrid a couple weekends ago was that I went to an Ice Bar! I had never been to one before, but I had seen them on TV shows like Sex and the City (my favorite show) and they seemed so cool, so when I found out that there was an Ice Bar in Madrid, there was no question – I was going. I rallied some of my friends and we bundled up and went to the Ice Bar one night. Now when they say that it is cold, it actually was really cold! The whole place is made of ice – ice chairs, ice couches, ice sculptures, ice walls – so much ice! They even gave us these huge super comfy parkas – kind of like giant parka snuggies to help keep us warm. Good thing I came prepared and brought gloves, because it was -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit!) It was a fun experience, we had a blast taking pictures the whole time enjoying some drinks. We were tough, but barely made it two hours, if not an hour and a half, before we had to leave because it was so cool. But such a fun experience, I definitely recommend it!

 

Being in Madrid and enjoying all the great food here, I have to keep up with exercising or else I’d gain 100 pounds by the time I come back home! I’ve always enjoyed running, but lately I’ve set my mind to run more, and I actually ran my very first 10K here in Madrid just a couple weeks ago! It was called “La Carrera de la Ciencia” (funny how even here in Madrid, away from Hopkins, I can’t get away from anything science related), and it was great! Two of my friends ran it with me, and it was run to be able to experience the whole thing with them! My goal was to finish the entire race without stopping or walking – just running the whole time. I finished with a smile, 6.2 miles later, with a time of one hour and four minutes. The race was actually really large – there were about 8000 people who ran it, and I felt just like a Spaniard running along all those seasoned running pros. It felt great, and I’m actually planning on running another 10K in less than a month, whooooo go me!

When I ran my first 5K, my dad took me to get pancakes after the race, and it has become a tradition for me to get pancakes after a big race. So of course, we scoured Madrid to find good old fashioned pancakes to celebrate our finishing the race. Luckily we found a great place called VIPS which is basically like a Spanish version of IHOP or Denny’s, and my pancake craving was satisfied. Yum!

I’m still loving my unreal life here in Spain and sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m really still doing all these cool things. I’m so glad I make the decision to study abroad. I feel like I’m so much more cultured, know so much more about Spain and the world, and have experienced new things and tried new food that I would never have thought that I would try. I’ve been on more fun trips – recently Barcelona last weekend, and I just got back from Paris last night! Stay tuned for more blog posts about those trips in the very near future!

xoxo,
Jess

Where Did the Time go?

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Name: Brett Schwartz

Year: Class of 2012

Hometown: Langhorne, PA

Areas of Study: Economics and minor in Entrepreneurship & Management

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Now… where did the time go?  Three years at Johns Hopkins University.  I can’t believe I’m now a senior.

My name is Brett Schwartz and I’m a senior from the suburbs of Philadelphia.  I am an economics major with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Management.  This summer I interned with Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York City, and I hope to go into business after I graduate next May.

Looking back at the last three years, I can’t believe the amount of opportunities and experiences I have had at Johns Hopkins University.  As a member of the school’s varsity Cross Country and Track teams, I have spent most of my time… well.. running.

I have really enjoyed spending time with teammates, and even got to race at Disney World this year (yes… I got a picture with Mickey and Minnie).  When I’m not practicing or racing, I’ve taken the time to experience almost everything else Hopkins offers as well.  I’ll recap the last year, as I believe it has been my most interesting year to date.

I began the fall semester in late August, as our team comes back early for preseason.  After surviving the dog days of summer, school quickly began and it was nice to have everyone back on campus after working in Baltimore over the summer.  I worked two internships (both through the Center for Leadership Education, CLE) in Baltimore, and also worked as a tour guide and a lifeguard on campus for some spending money.  During the fall semester, I spent most of my time in the Center for Leadership Education.  Three out of my five courses for the semester were through the CLE program, and I really enjoy the hands-on learning the courses offer.  Hopkins gets a lot of flack for being too much of a pre-med school, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my classes through the program, and wish more people took advantage of what it has to offer.  During the fall semester, I was involved at CLE by TA’ing a class called Oral Presentations and also being on the board of a CLE-sponsored organization, The American Marketing Association.  I also am a member of the business fraternity on campus, Alpha Kappa Psi.

During my spring semester, I studied abroad in London.  I loved my four months, as it was my first experience outside of North America.  I took full advantage of my time there, as I visited 23 cities in 14 countries in just under four months in Europe.  Two of my favorite cities were Paris [where I got to meet up with a current Hopkins student and an alum (who is currently in the Peace Corps)].  I also was able to travel to Morocco, where I even got to play with some snakes in the main square in Marrakech.

Oh, and I got some studying in as well, as I enjoyed experiencing such a different type of education system, which was very different from the American education system as it was very hands-off since each class only met for two hours a week.  All in all, I could not believe the amount of places I was able to explore, and it was an opportunity I was happy to have as a student at Johns Hopkins.

The things I have really enjoyed about Hopkins is the opportunities this school provides you.  I was ecstatic to hear that I could go abroad for the spring semester, and be involved with all of my organization and still have plenty of credits to graduate in four years.  The opportunities for research and internships are invaluable to one’s education, and there are plenty to choose from at JHU.  I also really like the location of Hopkins as it is within the city limits of Baltimore, but has a separate, beautiful campus.  I also like how close it is to other major cities such as Washington, DC and Philadelphia (where I can take a quick train ride home to see my new puppy!).  All in all, I think Hopkins offers everything one can ask for.

I have really enjoyed my first 3 years at Hopkins, and can’t wait for my senior year.  Hopefully time will slow down this year!

It’s Always Sunny in South Africa

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Name: Saznin Mehta (@JHU_Saznin)

Year: Class 0f 2012

Hometown: Alexandria, VA

Major: Public Health Studies

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For one of my very first Hopkins Interactive blogs, written way back in the stone age that was my freshman year, I mentioned a major life aspiration of mine: to become Anthony Bourdain. The man travels, eats, and says snarky things on camera for a living. Naturally, I have a major case of life envy. But as one of my friends once put it, “What’s there to be jealous about? You do all those things anyway, just without the cameras.”Okay, true, I’ve traveled quite a lot and eaten quite a lot. And come to think of it, I can earn something from my travels Anthony Bourdain can’t (at least not anymore): college credit. So this summer, I studied abroad in South Africa for six weeks as part of a new Hopkins public health program. Needless to say, spending six weeks in a strange country with 13 strangers – while sounding a lot like Real World: Cape Town – was a learning experience in itself.

Our first stop: Soweto, South Africa’s largest township located right outside Johannesburg. We were intrepid young tourists by day – riding bicycles through the township, touring Nelson Mandela’s old house, perusing museums – and a motley crew bonding over a bonfire by night. Our first few days in the world-famous township served as a crash course in South Africa’s history of apartheid, which provided solid background for what we would be learning in class later. After Soweto, it was off to Kruger for a three day safari, which was as fun as it was cliché. We saw our fair share of giraffes and springbok, but finally hit the jackpot when we came upon a couple of lions cuddling by the side of the road. National Geographic material right there. Once our orientation period in Soweto and Kruger was over, we headed to the main attraction: Cape Town.

The way we conquered Cape Town would put most travel hosts to shame. I’m sure our little group hit up every notable restaurant, bar, and local attraction Cape Town had to offer. And when we weren’t stuffing our faces, checking out the nightlife, or partaking in pretentious tea times and wine tastings, we literally put our lives on the line. Some in our group went cage diving with sharks and hiked up Table Mountain, while I and four other friends drove seven hours to attempt one of the highest commercial bungee jumps in the world. Insert requisite apologies to our parents: sorry, but it just had to be done, and now you can brag about us to your friends!

When we weren’t out defying death, we were taking a great class on issues surrounding public health in South Africa and interning at health-based organizations in and around the city. As part of the class, my peers and I had the opportunity to help a small community-based organization in Khayelitsha, Cape Town’s largest township. My internship at Ubuntu Africa, a small non-profit that provides comprehensive care to HIV-positive children, was located in Khayelitsha as well. Three days out of the week, I’d be driven away from the beautiful mountainside campus of the University of Cape Town to an expanse of corrugated metal shacks and poverty in Khayelitsha.

My boss, Whitney Johnson, started the organization right out of graduation from Colorado College in 2006 and has been expanding the program’s reach ever since. Working there for six weeks gave me a look into the inner workings of a small non-profit, and having the opportunity to help them with projects related to their growth made for an awesome out-of-classroom learning experience. Children affected by HIV/AIDS face extreme levels discrimination and a severe lack of access to necessary resources, on top of the destructive health effects of their disease. The extreme levels of poverty in the township making living with such a devastating disease that much harder. Seeing as South Africa has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world, UBA certainly fulfills a critical need. Being able to witness firsthand the kinds of struggles HIV-positive kids face every day taught me more about public health than I could ever learn by sitting in a classroom.

The stark contrasts between the developed metropolis and its vastly poorer townships used to bother me, and having to switch between the two every day was extremely jarring. I found it hard to wrap my head around the fact that I could be eating at a fancy restaurant before having to spend six hours working in an impoverished township. The apparent disparities had me asking a lot of difficult, unanswerable questions.

But that’s the exciting thing about South Africa: it’s full of contradictions that are impossible to comprehend in just six weeks. I loved being immersed in country still in transition. Its recent recovery process from apartheid has been complicated by the scourge of HIV/AIDS, but after meeting so many hardworking, enterprising South Africans, I have no doubt that the country will live up to its potential within my generation.

My time in Cape Town played out much like an episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. Just like Tony, I ate my weight (even more, actually) in amazing food, took advantage of some amazing opportunities (seriously, nowhere else would I have drove seven hours through a foreign country just to jump off a bridge), veered off the beaten path to see those aspects of Cape Town no tourist would ever experience, and come out of it all with more questions than I had going in. Cue really introspective monologue present at the end of each episode.

At the end of the day, I gained a fresh new perspective, 13 new friends, experience at a great non-profit, and close to 10 pounds (but I was never able to master the three different clicks of the Xhosa language. Fail.) I know I’ll make it back some day, but I’m determined to do so with a camera crew to record yet another amazing experience for my loyal viewers at home. Watch your back, Bourdain.

For even more about Saznin’s experiences in South Africa, check out this JHU Gazette article: On the ground in South Africa.

Intersession Abroad: An Adventure to the Ecuadorian Amazon and the Galapagos Islands

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Name: Andrew Halls

Year: Class of 2012

Hometown: Edmonton, AB, Canada

Majors: Neuroscience, Minors in Psychology and Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality

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When people ask me, “How was Ecuador!?” I can only really tell them one thing.

“You have to go. It is possibly the most amazing experience I have had in my life. Everyone needs to go! Go to Ecuador! Go on the trip!”

Intersession. There are plenty of things you can do during your intersession, for me that traditionally meant getting a couple extra weeks of break to enjoy the Canadian snow at home. But for others, that can be one of the most exciting classes they’ve taken or maybe a great bout of intimate research with a professor. I spent my intersession on the most amazing study abroad program in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. While the trip focused on Tropical Biology and Evolution, there were a wide variety of students from all sorts of backgrounds bringing with them their own personal academic interests.

Ecuador. We all flew back into Baltimore on January 3^rd, and began our journey with lectures from faculty about all sorts of topics: The Geological History of the Galapagos Islands, Natural and Sexual Selection, Biodiversity in the Ecuadorian Rainforest, the Political Situation in South America, pre-Incan culture, art, and history… the list goes on. Then, we flew.

We landed in Quito, Ecuador on January 5^th, passed out in our hotel rooms, and got up early the next day for a tour of the city. A beautiful colonial city surrounded by volcanoes with religious and cultural significance to the Ecuadorian aboriginals, the entire city has been declared a UNESCO Cultural Heritage of Humanity Site. Of course, no trip to Ecuador can be complete without obligatory equator-line photos.

Okay, this is where the journey begins. Waking up early, (this becomes a theme) we got onto a 30 minute flight over the Andes Mountains to the small oil town of Coca located in the Amazon Basin. We loaded into two motored canoes

to enjoy a 2 hour journey down the Napo River, which continues and flows into the Amazon. After those hours of amazing greenery, we took a 30 minute hike through the rainforest (yes, the middle of the rainforest) to the lake Pilchicocha. We took a final 15 minute paddle canoe to the beautiful Sacha Lodge. Where did we sleep? In cabins in the middle of the forest. No glass windows, only bug screens.

Every morning we would wake up at 5 or 6 AM in small groups with a naturalist guide and a native guide.  My group specialized in birds. I really could go on for hours and hours about all the things we did, some of the highlights include a 36 meter high canopy walk (I have a species list in my journal of over 30 species of birds in a couple days) and a night-time canoe ride through flooded forest. Oh, and we swam with piranha in the black-water lake too! (Had one or two of those for dinner on the last night…)

After the Amazon we travelled all the way back out and onto a plane to the Galapagos Islands. Noted for Darwin’s voyage there on the Beagle, we landed on Baltra Island’s airport and loaded onto a cruise ship, the Isabella II (this is the only way to see the Galapagos, really.) Every day we would load onto pangas, large inflatable motor boats, and make day treks on each of the islands. The Galapagos were amazing. My friend Julia and I hypothesized that you could take a photo from absolutely any angle with any quality camera and come out with masterpieces.

We saw of course, blue footed boobies, albatrosses, Sally Lightfoot crabs, pelicans, sea lions, and marine iguanas. The Galapagos aren’t as lush as you might imagine based on experiences on other Pacific islands though. The Galapagos are fairly young, geologically speaking. As such, there hasn’t been much opportunity for vegetation to make it to the islands and prosper, and they actually are very barren and dry. I believe that the absurd arid, rocky, islands only

add to the mystique and beauty of them.

You’d think there wasn’t much left to see, but the next adventure for us was back on the mainland, in the Ecuadorian highlands. We saw an active animal market (guinea pigs are only $1 each, and yes, they are sold as food here..!) and next travelled to the world’s longest continuously-running market, the Otavalo market. (My favorite purchases include wool scarves and my fuzzy, warm alpaca socks.) Last but not least, we were at the Cloud Forest, an area of rainforest elevated to a high altitude during the formation of the Andes Mountains.

 

As part of the course we maintained a journal chronicling our daily thoughts and feelings, and wrote an essay re-exploring some aspect of the trip that grabbed our interest: something you wanted to explore a little bit more upon return. I love the evolutionary development of social behaviors, and so my essay was a review of the interactions between squirrel and capuchin monkey troops, based in part on observations made during our time in the rainforest!

I miss Ecuador so much, you know each and every one of us on the trip do! But the experience hasn’t ended there. Every week l take classes with, grab coffee with, play games with, hang out with all the amazing people from the trip.

Firenze

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Name: Clare Richardson

Year: Class of 2012

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Major(s): Film and Media Studies/Writing Seminars

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Even though I’m halfway through my junior year here at Hopkins, this semester I’m feeling like a freshman: Gilman is a labyrinth where I can never seem to find my classroom quickly: walking around campus I rarely recognize anyone I know: I can no longer quickly get to the lower quad through the Krieger pass way: and I always seem to open the door to the Hut the wrong way. You may be wondering why someone who’s spent the last three years on the Homewood campus would be so lost and confused, but I do have an excuse for my freshman tendencies: I just spent the fall semester abroad in Florence, Italy.

It’s an understatement to say Florence is a far cry from Baltimore. It was definite culture shock to be placed in the middle of the Renaissance city with narrow streets and cobblestones, and in a country where I didn’t know the language.  I lucked out and lived in apartment with the Duomo right down the street: needless to say, I had quite a room with a view.

Life in Florence definitely took some getting used to, but once I could successfully dodge Vespas and bikes, ignore the “ciao bellas,” and dress a little more Italian (think subtle, never wear shorts or tennis shoes, pile on as much black as possible), Florence quickly became my home far away from home. I took classes which stayed within my majors but were definitely geared towards my life in Italy: my favorites being Travel Writing, Food Writing, and Literature of the Grand Tour (it’s pretty cool to travel to the same places, see the same things as everyone from Goethe to Mark Twain and of course Stendhal and compare impressions).

And speaking of food: everyone jokes about the “Italian 15,” but this weight gain is much more serious than its freshman counterpart. Tuscany is obviously known for its cuisine, so being located right in the center of the region offered a culinary delight at every meal. I ate better than I ever have and probably ever will during those three and a half months, with breakfasts of espressos and brioches, lunches of paninis of all shapes and size, dinners of pastas of all varieties (gnocchi, really I miss you!) and Florence’s own bistecca alla Fiorentina for the occasional treat.  Food is at the heart of every Italian, so another interesting way I was able to explore Italy’s regionality was through its dishes, from the Piedmont staple of osso bucco and saffron rice to Tuscany’s unbelievable pastas and cheeses, to the south’s Neapolitan pizzas. I’d consider myself a foodie of sorts before my semester in Italy, but I’m now full-blown: at the market I’m constantly sifting through the cheese section for some Pecorino and the meats for authentic Parma prosciutto.

One of my main reasons for studying abroad was to travel, and travel I did: in my little over three and a half months there, I went to 4 countries and 23 cities, some of them multiple times. I went to Florence not knowing anyone else studying in the city (my closest friend was in Rome), and going alone was definitely one of the best decisions I made. It granted me a sense of independence and autonomy I definitely wouldn’t have had if I went with a friend, plus it gave me an excuse to travel to see familiar faces in other cities. I had expected my trips to be all over Europe, and even though I did travel outside Italy, I was surprised most of my destinations were within the country. All of my international trips were exceedingly fun (especially Oktoberfest), but looking back I have found that my travels within Italy turned out to be some of the most meaningful, because they allowed me to get to fully experience Italy and all of it’s many regions on a more personal level.  I went everywhere from the sprawling Eternal City to the annual truffle festival in the small Tuscan hilltop town of San Miniato, from the sunny island of Capri in the south to the rainy cold of Milan in the north, and nineteen other cities, towns, and hilltop villages in between. I know it’s the variety and uniqueness of each of these locations that I saw and experienced that made my study abroad experience so meaningful.

Coming back from “La Dolce Vita” has been a good dose of culture shock: cups of American coffee were quite daunting after espresso for so long, American money looks strange compared to the colorful Euro, and going to the mall was incredibly overwhelming after shopping at the individual stores Italy is known for.   As much as I miss Italy and all of its wonderful qualities, there is something comforting about returning to Hopkins, being back with friends who have both been abroad and in Baltimore this fall semester, all reunited once again. It’s been a definite adjustment for all of us. When talking about studying abroad its hard not to speak in cliché terms, but I felt like my months away gave me a new sense of independence and self-confidence in myself, pushed my limits and made me all the better for it. If I can navigate an unknown European city, pick a good bottle of Italian wine, and travel by myself in a country where I barely know the language I should be able to eventually find my way though Gilman, right?

Namaste: Volunteer Work Abroad Drives My Goals at Home

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Name: Chelsea Rinnig

Year: Class of 2011

Hometown: Santa Monica, California

Area of Study: History and Writing Seminars

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When I came to Hopkins, I was pretty much undecided about everything – my major, my career…even my extracurricular interests began to change.  My freshman year, I took IFP I at the suggestion of Amy Brokl, and tentatively decided to follow the path of a Writing Seminars major (while filling this requirement, I made History my primary major and kept Writing Sems as my secondary).  After completing my first year of college and spending the summer as a Mountaineering counselor, I decided I needed to take advantage of this time in my life and do something extraordinary.  I used money I had saved from high school flute competitions to book a round trip ticket, and planned to travel to Nepal to live in a house sponsored by the Unatti Foundation (unattifoundation.org).

As I approached the ticket counter at the airport, with four oversized duffel bags in tow, I had no idea what to expect.   I hardly understood what all this—the children’s clothes, shoes, and toys—was for, let alone what I would actually do with myself once I arrived in Nepal.  The seven weeks away from home that followed, though, genuinely and profoundly changed my life.

I lived in a house with thirteen young girls and three grown women, all from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Every morning, the girls woke up at 5:30am to do chores (while I asked them every day to wake me up with, they usually let me sleep in until a generous extra hour).  We took our breakfast, tea, and dinner together, eating with our hands and sitting crossed legged on the floor.  And after we finished their homework, we played outside together, or they would laugh at me trying to learn their favorite songs and dances.  While the girls went to school, I taught English Conversation at the local government school and shadowed the operations of the Unatti Foundation’s handicraft business.  One day I might have ridden on the back of a motorcycle to the top of Nagarkot Mountain to get a view of Mount Everest, and the next I’d find myself on the second floor of an apartment building, converted into a “factory” that employed children to sew beads onto fabric.  Between two week-long trips to India and Thailand, and a two-day journey home, I met my mother back in Birmingham, Alabama with my four bags stuffed with shawls and kurtas and red tikka still on my forehead for blessed travels.  The experience was trying, but it made the life I lead here so much more valuable and I realized I wanted to get involved in human rights research and activism.

When I went abroad to Buenos Aires, I chose to work with Fundación Banco Provincia, a government funded organization that provides scholarships and microcredits for the underprivileged of Buenos Aires Province.  Upon my return, I was accepted to the BA/MA Program in History, and my Masters research this year focuses on Woman’s Rights movements in the United States.  I took an internship last summer at Human Rights Watch in Washington, D.C. and my supervisors encouraged me to apply for post-graduate.  As a result, I have started courses like State and Society in Modern India and Beginning Hindi in anticipation of hopefully being accepted to a scholarship or fellowship program in India next year.

When prospective students ask me why I love Hopkins, I have a two-part answer.  The first: tthe education I have received will prepare me for whatever I do.  Even if I’m a Humanities major, I have gained the research and analytical skills to apply to multiple careers and opportunities, and specifically have had the benefit of amazing programs that qualify me for a future in human rights. Second: my peers truly inspire me.  My experience was unique and amazing, but especially when talking to my fellow seniors, I find that everyone has taught English in Honduras or interned in China or done something during their Hopkins career that has changed their life.   And I never would have taken on a project like this if it hadn’t been for the example of those around me accomplishing equally brilliant things.

A Semester in Sevilla

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Name: Liz Kaplan

Year: Junior (2012)

Hometown: Coopersburg, PA

Majors: Latin American Studies and Spanish

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Saludos de Sevilla

I’m currently sitting at my usual hangout—sidewalk café overlooking the third largest cathedral in the world. No big deal. This little spot is one of my favorites in all of Seville. Other favorite? The Alcázar. Hands down. It’s a royal palace that was built in the 14^th century and always leaves me speechless. This city has quickly become my new home. I feel like I was in the Philadelphia airport just yesterday giving my parents tearful hugs goodbye. After saying adios, I haven’t looked back. It’s going to be really difficult to sum up my adventures in a few paragraphs, but here we go.

I can’t even begin to express my love for this city. As soon as my plane landed, I knew that this would be an awesome semester. I wake up in the morning and am instantly surrounded by Spanish culture—in the streets, at my homestay, at my university, and as I sit down to relax in front of the television. My host mom, Inma, cooks me typical Spanish cuisine—tortilla de patatas, croquetas, gazpacho, and some of the best lentil soup I’ve ever had. Her cooking is second to none. This is my first time in Europe, so it has taken some time for me to adjust to the lifestyle. I’ve gotten used to how laid-back and relaxed everything is here. Siestas have become a very important part of my daily routine.

Being completely immersed in the Spanish culture is forcing me to speak Spanish to survive, which is exactly what I needed. Going to cafés where literally no one speaks English is both terrifying and exciting. At first, I was afraid to speak to people because I didn’t want to be immediately targeted as a foreigner. I’m now realizing that it’s all right to make mistakes. People here are willing to reach out and help me learn about their language and culture. I’m finally confident with my ability to speak Spanish. The culture here is so different that the only way for me to learn is by making mistakes and then correcting myself the next time. This is one of the most important things I’ve learned here.

I’ve been trying to pinpoint one experience that’s been my favorite so far and am having some difficulties. It sounds really cliché, but every day is a new adventure. Just when I think I’ve had an especially awesome day, the next just gets better. One of my favorite (and most cultural) experiences was when I went to a bullfight. Yes, they are very controversial. Yes, there are probably a lot of you out there who are cringing just thinking about attending one. I can honestly say that it was amazing and I loved every minute of it. The gore, music, eloquence, and beauty immediately drew me in. The matadors turned their fight into a dance that had a unique beauty to it. I will never forget that day.

My semester in Europe wouldn’t be complete without some traveling. I’ve had some awesome adventures so far! I’ve been visiting lots of cities in Spain–Granada, Córdoba, Huelva, Barcelona, Madrid, Cádiz, and others. So far, I’ve only ventured out of Spain once to go to Paris. I spent almost a whole week there. It was awesome to see my friends in a new environment and experience their little corner of the world.

I’m quickly realizing that this semester is going to disappear before I know it. I’m desperately trying to make the most of every day by visiting museums, walking in parks, drinking espresso at sidewalk cafés, and getting lost in the winding backstreets. I am going to be traveling like crazy for the next few months—Birthday in Barcelona, Christmas in Venice, New Years in Berlin, and Lisbon, Vienna, Paris, Prague, Rome, Florence, and Venice in between. I wish that everyone at Hopkins could go abroad. This is an experience that I am extremely thankful for and want to recommend to anyone and everyone. I’ve had the opportunity to meet other students from around the world, volunteer in a bilingual classroom, and am doing so much that I’ve never had the opportunity to do before.

Despite these unique experiences, I find myself missing Baltimore more and more each day.  My heart aches each time I tell my friends here about the Inner Harbor, relaxing on the President’s lawn, my awesome group of friends at Hopkins, or my beloved row house on North Calvert Street. Being here has strengthened my love for Baltimore and Hopkins and has made me realize how lucky I am to have such a fantastic group of friends there. We’re all in constant contact despite being separated by multiple time zones. I’m thousands away from my city, but I’ve never felt so connected. Europe amazes me more and more every day, but Baltimore keeps me coming back. Europe just doesn’t have that same grit that I know and love.

For all of you on the other side of the Atlantic, thanks for reading! There’s a big world out there, so go explore. ¡Hasta luego!

Hopkins Home

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Name: Alexandra Byer

Year: Class of 2011

Hometown: Carlisle, MA

Major: Film & Media Studies, Writing Seminars minor

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It was only a month ago that I was living and studying and London. Now I’m back in my apartment on West University Parkway, looking out at the snowy Baltimore cityscape. I feel as though 2010 is a wall I’ve walked face first into. I am still writing 2009 in my notebooks and can’t really get the hang of saying twenty-ten. Instead, I awkwardly refer to the year as two-thousand-ten, which seems forcefully formal and cumbersome. And though denial won’t do me any good, I can’t help but reflect on the past year and where I was just a couple months ago.

London was a whirlwind of classes and cultures and traveling. I fell in love with the city life (coming from a small town outside of Boston, this was new to me) and reached a new level of independence and sophistication. Discovering not only London (with its ‘bangers and mash,’ tube, and lifts), but also Europe was an awakening experience. It’s hard to talk about studying abroad without its sounding like a huge cliché, so I’ll skip the “life changing experience” stuff, because more than anything studying abroad was a learning experience. There is nothing quite like taking a night train from Amsterdam to Berlin with rowdy Germans or trying to decipher the Paris or Berlin metro systems (I am no longer intimidated by the NYC subway). I now relish maps and finding my way alone through a city. Study abroad, more than anything, sparked a newfound autonomy. But for the months I was gone, there was always this small nagging homesickness for Hopkins.

I was lucky to have a few Hopkins friends in London at different universities, so when I needed a dose of Hop friends I just jumped on the tube and saw them. There was also the luxury of having friends in almost every major European city, so a trip to Paris or Rome was met with a friendly face. Though there’s something to be said for being away from campus, there’s a liveliness, intensity, and camaraderie to Hopkins and its brick walkways and Georgian architecture. It’s a comfort to know a place so well and I’m happy that most things have remained the same. The same security guards still hold their posts and the path behind the freshman dorms still smells like whatever the Fresh Food Café is cooking. I don’t live on campus anymore and there are many more people walking around the quads whose faces I don’t recognize. But change is new and good.

It’s been quite a transition returning to Baltimore and getting back into the working mode. The reading has already piled up, and meetings and appointments have been penned into my planner. As an upperclassman though I have more freedom with class choice so the work is more interesting and less painful to get through. It’s been exciting to reconnect with all my friends, some of whom I haven’t seen for almost nine months. And to top it all off, the film I interned on this summer (directed by a Hopkins professor) was just accepted to one of the world’s biggest film festivals, the Berlinale in Berlin. I’ve been working on fundraising for the movie and am still in shock that I was part of it. (Shameless plug, but check out the film here: http://puttyhillmovie.com/)

It may still be crazy to me that I’m a second semester junior, but as far as I can tell 2010 is off to a great start. Spring is coming up and that’s the best time to be at Hopkins. I cannot wait for the warm sun and hanging out on the beach and lacrosse games. I may not be able to weekend in Edinburgh anymore, but I’m back at my Hopkins home and it feels right. There’s something serene and satisfying in a homecoming. It’s like everything begins to fall back into place.

Something for Everyone

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Name: Natalie Berkman

Year: Class of 2011

Hometown: Buffalo, NY

Major: Writing Seminars and Mathematics, minor in French Literature

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Since I always say, “I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not so sure…”, when I was looking for a college, I tried to pick one that was a reasonable size. I had no idea what my major would be, or what I’d eventually want to do when I graduated, so it seemed like it would be a good idea to have lots of options. However, I’m from a little town outside Buffalo and I was used to that sort of life. That’s why I also wanted a college that wasn’t too big. As paradoxical as this seemed, this line of reasoning eventually led me to Hopkins, which is a city school with lots of options, but still has a reasonably secluded campus.

There are more majors than anyone could ever want, but if nothing appeals, you can always make your own. Still, I couldn’t decide (being indecisive and all…), so I’m a Writing Seminars and math double major who will hopefully get a French literature minor too. And honestly, it doesn’t seem like you can go wrong in choosing a major – every department at Hopkins seems to be one of the top in the country. For me, the math program is highly respected, the Writing Seminars department is generally considered one of the top in the country, and the French classes are all run by the French!

Aside from schoolwork, being at Hopkins has other benefits that make it a dream college for the indecisive people like me. For example, I play flute and I didn’t want to stop just because I was going to a different school in a different state. So, I take lessons at Peabody, a world class conservatory which is actually part of Hopkins! Even without lessons, though, it’s definitely worth a trip: there are millions of concerts, Peabody has the most gorgeous library, and the area is really nice. My roommate has an internship at the Johns Hopkins hospital, which is also an advantage of going to Hopkins – if you get sick, the number one hospital in the country is right there! The proximity to Washington D.C. is also useful. When I had to get a visa to study abroad in Paris this semester, being only 40 minutes away by train made the whole process much easier than if I had been in Buffalo (about seven hours from New York City, which is where the consulate is in New York). And the Baltimore Museum of Art is right next store to Hopkins, if that appeals.

There are also plenty of clubs to join, adding more options. I write for the Newsletter every week. They sometimes get me free tickets to concerts or musicals to see and review, so I get to learn a little more about Baltimore. I’m also in the band and the orchestra, so I can play for fun outside of my lessons. There are two clubs for tutoring little kids as far as I know – I’m in Refugee Action Project and we tutor Turkish refugees. And there are plenty more – I learned to twirl fire in Entertainer’s Club, I learned about Caribbean Culture with CCS, and I even saw the belly dancers club, Egyptian Sun!

Right now, I’m taking advantage of another great option that Hopkins offers: I’m studying abroad. I’ve been in Paris for a few days now, and the ability to be completely immersed in French culture  is hard, but certainly worth doing (as I’m sure it would be for any culture). I feel as though my French has already improved a lot, and I’m living with a host family, which means I get to see how a French family lives up close. Soon, I’ll start taking classes at French universities, but right now, it’s orientation. Right now, what I’m most excited for is the l’OuLiPo meeting on Thursday. L’OuLiPo is an organization of French writers/mathematicians who write while imposing constraints on themselves (more troubled individuals who can’t make up their minds…). For example, Georges Perec wrote a book called “La disparition” (“A Void” is the English title) entirely without the letter E. Every month, they have an open meeting at La Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and luckily, my host family is practically next door!

Basically, I’m a completely different person now than I was when I applied to colleges. Back then, I was looking for a university with a lot of options so I could learn the most, and I definitely found one! The reason I’m so different now is because of all that I’ve learned. I never thought I would ever feel comfortable writing about math in French, not that I ever knew that I’d want to do that. Through taking all of these different classes and participating in a variety of activities, I was able to learn that none of them are really separate. There’s a way to combine everything, and the creativity to do so is really encouraged at Hopkins from what I can see. L’OuLiPo combines math and writing in French; there are so many French mathematicians who developed new theorems in all branches of the subject; French literature is some of the best writing in the world. I think the education I’m receiving at Hopkins is incredible, even if the only thing I’ll be able to do when I graduate is write math textbooks in French.

Salaamaalekum ci Senegal (Greetings from Senegal)

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Name: Katie Firestone

Year: Class of 2011

Hometown: New York, NY

Majors: International Studies and Africana Studies

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I knew I wanted to study abroad starting in high school, and maybe even earlier. I had imagined myself going to France, given the fact that I started taking French in middle school. I definitely surprised people when I announced I wanted to study abroad in Dakar, Senegal. West Africa is certainly a world away from Europe.

For me, the choice was logical. At Hopkins, I am an International Studies and Africana Studies doublemajor. Given my study of French as well, a French-speaking West African country was the ideal place to choose to study abroad. Some people asked me why I was not going to Paris if I wanted to improve my French, but for me, coming to Senegal was about more than French. I wanted the chance to live in Africa, to experience a culture and history that I had previously only studied. In my mind, study abroad is the chance of a lifetime—a time when your opportunities really are endless and you can choose to live and study virtually anywhere in the world. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. And I did just that.

Senegal is a fascinating country. The country is 95% Muslim (I interestingly enough live with a Catholic host family). The official language is French, but the majority of the population  cannot understand French and speak Wolof (a lesser number speak other “maternal” languages including  Pulaar and Serer). The city of Dakar is extremely international, with many organizations and groups having headquarters here and a large number of international residents (including French, American, Lebanese, etc.).

I have called Dakar home for the past two and a half months and will be here for another six weeks. While I attend classes with fifty other American students, I live with a Senegalese host family and take most of my classes in French, so I have been able to truly experience life in Senegal. I eat meals with my family around the bowl, sometimes even using my (right) hand. I know how to greet someone properly in Wolof and ask about his or her health and family. I can bargain for a taxi.

I feel lucky that I have been able to experience so much. I have explored Dakar—the neighborhoods, markets, beaches and restaurants. I have met incredible friends through my program,who go to colleges all across the United States. I have also gotten to know neighbors, family friends and other Senegalese host families. I have been able to travel: to the beaches on the coast, to a rural village for a week, to southern Senegal and to the Gambia for fall break.

While I have certainly learned a lot in my classes (French, Senegalese Culture and Society, Wolof, International Crisis Management in African Countries and Colonization and Decolonization in Senegal), I am also learning so much outside of the classroom. I have learned how to navigate language barriers, with the help of my dictionary and the patience of my host family. My French in turn has been forced to improve. I have learned cultural differences: not giving compliments, being a member of a family (versus being an individual), polygamy and the importance of Islam. I have learned to adapt to the heat and to love rice.

I have come to love the little things about Senegal: hearing the call to prayer at six every morning from the mosque near my house, ceebu jen (the national dish of rice and fish), being able to communicate in Wolof with people on the street, the amazing Senegalese teranga (hospitality), the car rapide system (buses/vans that take you around the city). While part of me is excited to return to the US and to family and friends and eventually Hopkins in the spring, I know I am going to miss Senegal.