The last month has changed me to my very core. Life in the countryside of Japan is completely different than life in Tokyo.
My program (Japan Study through Earlham) requires that year-long students go on a “cultural internship” to a more rural setting in Japan for a month. I decided to go to Tanohata, a tiny town of about 3000 residents in Northern Japan. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I wasn’t expecting to change so much in such a short period of time.
Some casual scenery
I “worked” at various locations (rather than work, it was more like they let me experience things): An elementary school, a middle school, a daycare, a bakery, a mushroom factory, a lumber company, and a couple other places that to be honest I don’t know the English translation for (haha!). However, outside of the work, it was really the people I met and the experiences with those people that changed everything.
I lived with a host family that was much different than my Tokyo host family (I love them both of course!). They are a multi-generational family, so there were so many people coming in and out, and my host family ran this huge branched out NPO where they are all leaders of something, so you can imagine it was quite chaotic. On our free days we were always traveling somewhere or doing something, no matter the weather. However, it was so much different than the Tokyo busyness, and to be honest, it taught me so much about life.
Eating a grape parfait at a bathhouse
The things we are chasing after most of the time really aren’t all that special. I think there are truly special things in this world that we tend to devalue. The town I went to was hit pretty hard by the Tsunami (which today 3/11 is actually the anniversary for), but nobody was complaining. The kids essays at the middle school were about cherishing time with their families and friends, or how their talents were thanks to others. When it snowed everyone shoveled it together, and then made snow lanterns and grilled yakitori. When plans fell through, everyone laughed and we found the fun in where we were.
Snow lanterns and yakitori
The connections I made have changed me for the rest of my life. I didn’t think you could love people so much that after a month, it would be so hard to say goodbye to them. I’m now thinking about how I can make my days special everyday, cherish the people in my life better, cherish the time on this earth better, and the root of why I want to work hard has changed completely.
Coming back to Tokyo feels like I’m coming back from abroad. I can’t imagine what going back to America is going to feel like. There is so much change that happens to you when you’re abroad if you let it. It is actually horrifying how dramatic the internal change is, but I think it is worth it and necessary.
I woke up this morning, surprised to see snowflakes tumbling down from the grey canopy of clouds. Although I’ll be in Liverpool for two more weeks, today was my last day of classes. It’s a melancholy feeling I can’t describe: the inevitable passing of time, hours melting away like a snowflake in my palm.
As the morning bus careened through the snow-laced streets, honking only once at the cars that crawled like frozen beetles, I thought back to my first week in Liverpool. Back when everything was new and unknown. When every face was unfamiliar and I google-mapped my runs and didn’t understand the Scouse accent of the campus security guards. Now, I smile at my classmates in the hallways, recognize the names of the streets along the bus route, know the difference between a Birmingham and a Sussex accent, and have learned why you should never mention to a Scouser that you’re visiting London.
Campus too has become familiar as I’ve settled into the rhythm of the weeks. I’ve found my favourite study places (library study room, second floor, the one with the windows overlooking the garden courtyard), decided on the best pastry from the canteen (the chocolate twist), joined the Christian Union, memorized the shuttle bus schedule, visited the special collections in the library and set off the alarm for accidentally taking a book, learned how to save money by using my catering card to buy groceries at the supermarket on campus, played football in the weekly friendly matches, and attended office hours with each of my tutors.
One of my library spotsFootballPretty morningsIconic Liverpool Hope
Just as this place was beginning to feel like home, just when friendships were beginning to deepen, it’s time to think about packing up, and moving out. As I reflect back over these past few months, I’m grateful for the everyday moments. It’s those day-to-day experiences that time turns to golden memories. So, here’s a glimpse into my ordinary days.
University Life Snapshots
Mornings always start with quiet time before a quick breakfast washed down by gulps of earl grey tea, speed-walking from my Aigburth Flat to the bus stop, waiting for 2-20 minutes for the free university shuttle to arrive, hoping there will be room on the bus and maybe even an open seat, and occasionally finding alternative modes of transit (i.e. Uber, city bus, or walking) when there isn’t room. Days that I have a late morning start time, I get to enjoy a sunrise run along the river or through Sefton Park.
My apartment – St. Julie’s HallNo bus seat? No problem. Stand by the “No Standing Allowed” sign. We are not driving on the sidewalk, just turning a corner. Same window, one of the many rainy days.
Academic Snapshots
Once on campus, I usually head to the library, the cafe on campus, (incase I didn’t have time for tea), or attend one of my four courses, depending on the day:
British Life – an international student requirement, 10/10 for intention, 0/10 for execution. Mondays.
Theology: Christianity Encounters the Enlightenment – 10/10 fascinating lectures and 10/10 for traditional students being welcoming. Mondays.
British Literature – 10/10 I love books and English profs are some of the coolest people. Tuesdays and Fridays.
Challenges of Democracy – 10/10 British humor and 10/10 fun classmate debates, plus the UK perspective on US politics is intriguing. Thursdays.
Creative Writing Workshop, Poetry – 10/10 workshop feedback and 10/10 faculty who care. Mondays. (Math is not my thing but even I know I just listed five courses). This one doesn’t count because there was a kerfuffle with the international department at LHU so I couldn’t take this course for credit, but the tutor graciously allowed me to join last minute. YAY.
The international system is structured very differently from the traditional student course load since only select courses are “approved” each semester to be available for international students depending on how the modules are scheduled. Because my British peers only specialize in one or two courses (majors), they attend lectures, seminars, and tutorials within that topic area. They often have long days with multiple lectures, seminars, and tutorials as they study different modules within their degree. Because international students are jumping around between departments, we are only assigned one module per course. Therefore, most days, I only have 3 hours of class, Mondays being the exception with 5 hours.
I found someone who loves the library even more than me.
Another Monday in theology.
I just find the exit signs entertaining.
Politics lectures can get controversial in the best way.
Oh look! Romane! In the library! Again.
Late nights on campus.
Campus Life Snapshots
Each afternoon and evening look a little bit different. Sometimes I catch the bus back my flat right after class, somedays I stay on campus for Christian Union or football, sometimes I FaceTime my family or call friends, on Mondays I go to Calisa’s Coffee Shop for lunch with friends from theology, this week there was a silent disco on campus, some afternoons I spend in the library, sometimes I run in one of the parks near campus, sometimes I go to the city centre, and on Thursdays I walk down to Halfway House with my politics classmates.
Thursdays at the pub
Halfway House
Post-class selfie
Calisa’s Cafe
Bowling with Politics Society
Late night bus buddies
Pretty shops
Lunches at Fresh Hope
The arch
Video call for family birthdays
Sunny campus
Silent Disco on campus
Classic British pub
Galentines Night out with friends from Church and Christian Union
I’ll miss this place but more than this place I’ll miss the people that have welcomed me, a total stranger, with such warmth and kindness.
New British Word/Phrase: “Rizz” charisma or charm.
Kodak Moment: Enjoying live music at the Albert, a local British pub on Lark Lane with fellow international students.
Someone new I met this week: I didn’t actually meet anyone new this week (unless the random person in my flat kitchen that I’d never seen before counts?).
It is past midterms and I have so many stories to tell about my time here in Singapore! I will start with one of the first trips we took! On the 4th day in Singapore, we had a trip to an island off of Singapore called Pulau Ubin. We had a tour guide named Darius and he was telling us facts about Singapore all the way to the island. Did you know that the national language of Singapore is Malay? Other languages spoken here include English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay, and Tamil.
Some interesting facts about Pulau Ubin is that it is one of the only rural places left in Singapore and is home to about 38 natives who get most of their supplies and resources shipped from the main island. Darius told us that there were actually no cases of Covid-19 reported from Pulau Ubin which was interesting to hear. We got in vans and headed inland to explore the Chek Jawa Wetlands that is on the island. We were joined with a local who is said to be a boar whisperer. He has a specific boar family that he is friends with and he called them by whistling and calling out 來 (lái) in Mandarin which means “come here”. While waiting for the family we hiked and climbed the Jejawi Tower which is a 20 meter viewing tower and we climbed the Puaka Hill that overlooks the Ubin Quarry.
To make it back to the vans we walked along the 1.1-kilometer boardwalk. It was high tide so we did not see much wildlife but the view was amazing. We also walked by House No.1 which is now the Chek Jawa Visitor Center. It was built in the 1930s by the Chief Surveyor of Singapore Landon Williams. It is a Tudor-style house and it is popular for its original fireplace.
When we came to the vans, we were met by a family of boars. They were all surrounding the boar whisperer and he was even petting one of them. We didn’t get too close but the boars were so cute and there were also babies. When we went to leave the boars were sad to see their friend go and they chased down the van that the whisperer was in! When we got back to the main part of the island we had a really delicious lunch that consisted of rice, fish, squid, chicken, and more.
Then we got back on the boats to head back home. Overall, Pulau Ubin offered great views, good food, and rich nature and history.
By the way, have you ever heard of Singlish? Singlish is an informal, colloquial form of English that is used in Singapore. I will be adding Singlish words that I have learned so far! The first is “Chope” which means to save a seat. It is similar to leaving your phone on a table in Phelps except here you can leave a napkin or tissue packet. You often see this often in Hawker centers.
As of this writing, it’s Friday, and every single class on my Liverpool Hope University (LHU) timetable was actually held this week AND last week, making me a very happy student.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the education structure here is different from Hope. Classes at LHU last a full year (October – May). Students enroll in a single or double degree “course” which includes lectures, seminars, and tutorials relating to their chosen degree and taught by faculty across the department. Each year builds directly on the topics in the previous year, forming a scaffolding structure. This creates a tight-knight cohort within each degree track (what they call “honours”) since all the single honours students in the same year basically take the same courses.
This scaffolded system is reinforced by the academic calendar: four teaching weeks followed by a reflective or reading week. For international and exchange students, the term is ridiculously short: a twelve week program in which only eight weeks are actually teaching weeks!
UCU Strike Action
However, enter UK politics, economic downturn, and strikes…and actual teaching time is even shorter. During my first four week teaching block, the University College Union (UCU) announced 18 days of strikes in February, March, and April. Educators, like hundreds of other union members in the UK across a variety of industry sectors, are striking because of the rising costs of living, increasing inflation, low wages, and poor working conditions.
To strike or not to strike, that it the controversy
(Excuse the cheesy Shakespeare reference…how could I resist when I’m England?)
Not all professors (tutors) are union members. Not surprisingly, this creates tension between faculty and within departments. One tutor asked us not to pass around that he was not participating in the strike. Another tutor said he personally didn’t need to strike but he wanted to participate in solidarity with his colleagues.
Tutors aren’t required to inform students when they are striking or whether or not they are participating in industrial action, but thankfully, all of my tutors offered at least an hours notice. Sometimes, the university provides substitute teaching from non-union faculty members, which can be controversial (and is often very last-minute notice). This poses an interesting question for students over whether or not to cross picket lines to attend classes that are still being held. One of my courses held during a week with industrial action only had 2 attendees!
I’ve spoken to fellow British students and in general, there is support for the strikes. Sure, some students just like the day off, but many are genuinely concerned for the issues that are being protested. Even those who choose to attend lectures for educational reasons are sympathetic toward striking faculty members. As an international student, I felt initial frustration that so many classes were scheduled to be cancelled because of strikes. Three out of eight weeks of class adds up…I am supposed to be getting credit over here after all!
Looking Forward
Luckily, for both the teachers and students, the last two weeks of strike action were paused as ‘talks’ occurred with the University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) to come to a pay settlement. Despite minor inconveniences, thankfully, only one day of my lectures have actually been affected by strike action due to the university efforts to find substitutes.
Despite the ongoing negotiations, scheduled strikes will resume over the next two weeks with an additional five days of action just announced. Upcoming strikes will fortunately not impact international students since next week is our last week of classes (insert sad/shocked face).
Industrial strike action is a rather common occurrence, but this year is the biggest round of strikes in the UK since 1989. It’s not just universities that are striking but also teachers, nurses, doctors, rail workers, security guards, and bus drivers. On February 1, almost half a million workers around the country walked out on strike.
More Educational Differences
Students here are are fairly used to the disruptions of the strikes and seem unfazed by the last-minute changes and general disorganization that accompanies industrial action. Their attitude seems to reflect a generally more relaxed, laid back spirit that permeates education here.
This same mindset is visible in the personable relationship between tutors and students. Addressing tutors on a first-name basis is the norm. By second year, faculty and students joke back and forth during seminars and often have a genuine knowledge of one another’s lives.
Attendance isn’t enforced and skipping class or lectures is fairly regular among my British peers. I was laughed at outright by a British classmate when he heard that in the States, we get marks for attendance and participation (“That’s like primary school!”). This reflects the idea that students should take responsibility for their own learning. While tutors provide recommended material, there is little to no required homework, reading, or regular assignments in my humanities courses.
One might think that class discussions would be dry with no grade-based incentive for students to engage, but my experience has been that seminars and tutorials are peppered with debate and thoughtful conversation. Students are genuinely interested and want to understand the material. In theory, students are supposed to use their time outside of class on their own research and reading for their end of unit assessments, although I’ve been informed by some that this doesn’t always happen until the last minute.
Learning as a…journey?
For study abroad students, marks are based 100% off these final assessments. I appreciate that there isn’t busywork, but it puts a lot of pressure on one final paper or presentation. And that’s another difference! Here, there isn’t the same focus on grades, final marks, or GPAs that permeates American institutions. Students seem more accepting of the journey of learning rather than focused solely on the final outcome.
I’ll be honest, I’m trying to accept this mentality, but still have a ways to go. My first teaching block here felt very relaxed with plenty of time to complete the recommended readings, extra research, work ahead, and explore a new city. Between impeding strike days and no deadlines for months, I joked to friends back home that it barely felt like I was in school! I mean really…8 weeks of official teaching plus and minus strike days, it felt more like unschooling. The education came in the experience of adjusting to a new city, navigating public transit, meeting new people, and traveling.
Let me just say…that is not exactly the case now. Classes are wrapping up, assessments are ramping up, and the next two weeks look very much like my finals week at Hope with research and essay writing.
I spent a total of 7 hours in this library study room on Friday working on my theology final. Cadbury chocolate is great fuel.
People who know me know how much I love lists, especially pros and cons lists. There are certainly pros and cons to the educational system at LHU here compared to Hope. For example, I’m a huge fan of reflective week but find some of the daily timetables confusing. Despite the challenges and unpredictability of strikes, I’m grateful to have had the immerse university experience here which has allowed me to consider the strengths (and weaknesses) of different systems. One of the reasons I chose LHU was because I wanted to have the experience of direct enrollment in another country. I’m hopeful that when I return to Hope, I’ll be able to take with me some of the lessons I’ve learned from my British peers and approach learning in a more process-oriented versus outcome centered way.
New British Word/Phrase: “Not fussed” meaning not impressed or not bothered (used by a friend from church referring to the Brookies everyone was raving about).
Kodak Moment: The little girls in matching pink coats running to smell the crocuses blooming in Sefton Park on Sunday afternoon.
Someone new I met this week: Last Saturday (2/25), Romane and I went hiking in Wales and met a friendly Welsh couple hiking in the mountains above their village who pointed out a trail that led to an old stone quarry! Can you spot their dog in this picture?
Word (phrase?) of the week: It’s going to be okay.
Quote of the week: “A little progress everyday soon adds up to a big difference.” – Unknown.
This past weekend the Denver Urban Semester did a retreat to an Airbnb in Palmer Lake. It was a time for everyone to relax and spend time together in a new space. Which, by the way, was gorgeous. So, Friday after everyone was finished with their internships we drove about an hour towards Colorado Springs to Palmer Lake. It is interesting to see how the landscape changes so quickly even within a short distance. You can go from mountains to valleys to the foothills in the course of 20 minutes.
The second day that we were there we went on a hike to Palmer Lake which was about a five-minute drive from the place we were staying. The hike brought us up around 700 feet in elevation from the beginning to the top. The mountain was gorgeous and when we got to the lake, while it was frozen, it was gorgeous! The sun shining on the ice and making the trees look very defined. The hike was all uphill one way which was a little rough in the sense that the trail was icy and not the easiest because of the steepness of the trail. But it is what it is and really is not much that can be done about it.
Palmer Lake
Something that I experienced that day which I have not experienced yet while I have been in Denver is elevation sickness. It is extremely important to drink a ton of water before you are going up in elevation because it lowers your chances of getting elevation sickness and having to deal with the side effects of it. In the past it has not been a problem for me, but because of some things that I was dealing with earlier in the day I did not drink enough. Lesson learned for the future: before going up in elevation make sure you are very hydrated and are not dealing with any other health issues in the moment – especially migraines when it is sunny!
The next day on the way back into the city we went to the Garden of the Gods. If there is a list of things that you have to do while in the Denver area, this is definitely one of the places you should stop at even if for a small amount of time. The rocks and plants that are there are incredible and we even saw some wildlife – but sadly they were on the side of the road and we drove by too fast to get pictures. When we went it was extremely windy and kind of cold, but it was very worth seeing all of the beautiful landscapes and getting to climb on some of the rocks. It was incredible!
Something that we have to do for our class to get cross-cultural engagement hours. This is where we find things throughout the City that are part of cultures different from our own and spend time learning about them. So one place that was recommended to us is called Mango House. It is a food court in Aurora, Colorado that is run by immigrants. The building also holds a lot of resources for new immigrants who come and need things like healthcare, clothing stores, and access to getting the documentation that they need. Seeing all that they provide was extremely inspirational. So many people are against immigrants and want nothing to do with them, saying they do not belong here. But to see people who are caring for them and providing all the help they can is amazing. While we were there we tried food from four of the six different restaurants that were there. It was incredible! It also feels great to be able to support people who are living in a big city in a different country and cooking food for people in the Denver area. The guy at the Syrian food place was extremely nice and made sure we were enjoying everything, and gave us some free baba ganoush and falafel to try.
Mango HouseChicken Shawarma, Baba Ganoush,
Denver has so much to offer and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to spend a semester here and experience some of it.
In my first ever blog post, I promised that I would make a “Learn Arabic” playlist. For all the folks who’ve been waiting on the edge of their seats (joke), it’s finally here!
My music taste is kinda weird, fair warning.
I’ve been working hard on my Arabic, and in this post I want to give you a little glimpse of the craziness that is my attempts to practice the language.
Language Exchange
I burn for the breath, for the bridge between bloodlines, for the bonds between boulevards. I yearn for a newer and more vivid link.
I found out about a group called BlaBla Language Exchange through a flyer taped to a cafe wall in Al Weibdeh. The premise of the group is practicing languages in small groups of language learners and native speakers.
The flyer that started it all
The first time I went to BlaBla I did the natural thing and sat at the table that was half in English, half in Arabic. Did I understand the English? Yes. Did I understand the Arabic? No. But I enjoyed the vibe of the group and I was excited to go back.
The second time I went, I had a bright idea. What if I combined my desire to learn Arabic with my desire to keep my Spanish conversation skills fresh?!
This is how I ended up at a table that spent half the time in Spanish and the other half in Arabic, neither of which am I even remotely fluent in. This is also how I absolutely overloaded my brain’s language processing system. Here’s a small sample of how the conversation went:
Nice person: “Cómo te llamas?”
Me: “Huh?”
Nice person (louder): “CÓMO TE LLAMAS?”
Me: “Ana isme, oop sorry, asifa, I mean, AnnaLeah.”
Nice person: “What?” (Notice how they kindly switch to English at this point. Props for being able to speak like four languages perfectly. Not that I’m jealous or anything.)
Me: “AnnaLeah.”
Nice person: “Mucho gusto, AnnaLeah. De dónde eres?”
Me: “Soy de Amreeky.” (This is not an answer to the question in either Spanish or Arabic. In Arabic Amreeky means American, the nationality, but it is a masculine word, so it doesn’t work if I’m describing myself.)
Me (trying again): “I mean, umm, los, umm, America?”
Nice person: “Los Estados Unidos?”
Me: “Yeah, sí, sí, sí, sí. Shukran. Gracias.” At this point I decided it would be better for me to listen than to speak. Unfortunately, everyone in this group is very friendly, and I had to repeat basically this exact same conversation as every person arrived and introduced themself.
As if this was not enough, one of the conversation prompts the group discussed over the course of the evening was how to say the word “kindness” in other languages. Suddenly group members started whipping out Russian, Turkish, and French. Cue me realizing that I know so very, very little. And also that this group is, quite literally, kind and welcoming in too many languages to count. Voy a regresar—yanni, I’ll definitely be back.
Falafel
At BlaBla I gained many snippets of language knowledge that I would never have found out in a formal class. One such snippet was that Jordanians call tightly curled hair “falafel,” although no one at my table was sure exactly why.
This is what falafel (the food) looks like. In case you needed a refresher.
Only at BlaBla would I be able to meet someone called “Mohammedito,” or listen to new friends switch seamlessly between Arabic, Spanish, and English to make sure that everyone at the table is included in the conversation. After the end of the scheduled conversation, I stayed to talk for a few more minutes, and I loved seeing connections form as we found commonalities in our ideas about poetry and politics.
This is in a park I walked to last week and doesn’t really have anything to do with learning Arabic. I thought some of you snowy people in the U.S. might appreciate flowers and sunshine:)
When someone asks me how studying Arabic is going, my answer is usually shway shway: slowly. But maybe the pace isn’t the problem. As I slowly pick up more words and grammar, I am also meeting wonderful, interesting, kind people and expanding my view of the world. Isn’t that what learning is really all about?
Answer, if you hear the words under the words—
otherwise it is just a world with a lot of rough edges,
difficult to get through, and our pockets full of stones.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. “The Words Under the Words.” Words Under the Words: Selected Poems, Far Corner Books, 1995.
My SIT Arabic class
*Samuel Vega is a poet and recent Hope grad. If you are interested in reading the rest of his beautiful poem in Spanish and English, “Treatment Plan,” you can find it here.
A phrase I have used very often during my time abroad. I love the way this phrase draws my attention back to the reality that much of what I am experiencing is “simply epic.”
The two seemingly opposite words fit together so beautifully. “Epic” is often used to describe an extraordinary or remarkable experience or feature, whereas “simply” is used to demonstrate a more common or modest nature. How cool that a moment, place, or thing can be simultaneously both simple and epic.
I would love to use some “Fotos” to feature some fun and unforgettable moments from the past few weeks.
Kunst(Art)
Many of the classes I am taking at IES take advantage of the amazing museums and art exhibits located in Berlin. During classes and on my weekend trips, I have been heavily impacted by the thought-provoking art and history.
I have had the opportunity to go to the Alte Nationalgalerie, Humboldt Forum, and the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin along with the Louvre in Paris. These places present art, information, and history in specific ways to imbue a combination of thought, emotion, and/or change.
I chose a few of my favorites to highlight, but there is art everywhere. Every street corner, every wall, every building has a display of past and modern creative work.
If you’re curious what has captured my attention, slide to find out!
Here are a few not so famous art pieces that I found to be worthy of noting.
Statue of King Wenceslas Riding an Upside-Down Dead Horse
Is this Mona Lisa real or fake? A little cafe in Paris featured this work.
The Eifel Tower in Paris, a real hidden gem.
A little puppet of a character from a Czech TV show in German. Wild!
Kamera(Camera)
I chose to document many moments on my phone camera and also my little camera featured below.
The real life camera
Too much concentration?
Smile feature of course
I use this camera often in art museums, on walks, and when I want to utilize the smile feature.
The smile feature works by detecting the level of smile in the proposed subject. When the subject of the photo has smiled large enough to satisfy the camera’s requirements, it will snap a photo. If the subject’s smile is not large enough, no photo will be captured.
Naturally, while in the famous Louvre Museum in Paris, a few friends and I decided to put the Mona Lisa up to the smile test. My good friend Margaret suggested the test, and we instantly knew what we had to do. We waited in line to get the optimal lighting and angle for the test, we adjusted the zoom to ensure her face was in focus, but all of our efforts were in vain. My little camera decided Mona Lisa did not in fact meet the requirements of a smile.
Nevertheless, we continued to use this feature on the other famous featured works in the museum and were able to capture a smiling faces. I am currently unsure how to transfer the photos from my little camera to my computer, but I can’t wait to compile all of smiles that lens has captured!
Let’s pretend the candid pictures below came from my little camera.
Freunde(Friends)
I have had the privilege of meeting, traveling with, and interacting with so many people during my time abroad. Often, what makes the places we visit so special are the people with whom we experience those places.
In the basement of the jazz club!
This is Margaret and I laughing.
And more laughing
On the dance floor with Michelle’s encouragement
My friend Vivian and I had the opportunity to visit Margaret in Paris this past weekend, and it was legendary. Margaret was an incredible host, and my appreciation for the French language, cuisine and lifestyle has exponentially increased. It was simply epic. We ended one of our nights in a jazz club where we met a new friend named Michelle. Michelle gave us some great advice: life is too short to worry about what others think. With Michelle’s encouragement, we tore up the dance floor to some wonderful jazz music.
New places are fun to explore, but friends always make the smiles a little bigger and the time a little sweeter.
At times, study abroad is full of simple, mundane, and ordinary moments. At times, days consist of papers, readings, trips to the local store, and daily chores. Other days, however, consist of big moments that will remain in my memory a little longer. Everyday is a new adventure and full of simple and epic moments.
Study abroad can be both!
Thank you for following along so far on my journey!
!مرحبا (marhaba—hi!) I’ve been in Amman for almost a month now: wow, is time moving fast! (If only my Arabic skills were moving at the same rate—learning vocabulary is taking me forever.) My amazing host family has played a huge role in making my experience so far such a positive one. Their hospitality and kindness are always on display, and they genuinely care about helping me experience the best parts of Jordan.
Can you spot the Roman amphitheater behind us?
Moving In
The minutes before I met my host family were some of the most nerve-wracking moments I’ve ever experienced. SIT students had been living in a hotel and going to orientation meetings for five days, and on the last day of the orientation our host families came to pick us up. All the students were waiting in a classroom, and every few minutes the staff would walk in and call a single name. That student would collect their bags and leave while the rest of us clapped and cheered.
As the number of students in the room dwindled, the cheering became quieter, and it became easier to question every life decision that brought me to Amman to live in a stranger’s house. What if my family never wanted to hang out with me? What if I accidentally said something offensive in Arabic? Would they hate me?
Hospitality
Fortunately, this was not the case at all! My family made me feel at home from the moment I met them. My host mom immediately told me that she would treat me exactly the same as she treats her own daughter.
I am a little shy, so I was worried that I would find it hard to connect with my host family and that I would spend all my time at home in my room. My host parents did not let that happen! While they never forced me to spend time with them, they made it clear that I am always welcome to join them, and I felt very comfortable around them almost from the moment we met. Hospitality is a huge part of Middle Eastern culture, and I get to experience it firsthand through my host family.
Fridays are holidays, so we often go out to eat together.
The weather was cold in my first few weeks here, and most Jordanian homes do not have central heat, which gave me added incentive to hang out with my family in the living room next to the heater every night! We spent our time in fuzzy pajamas, sipping mint tea and watching Turkish dramas on television.
My host mom gave me fuzzy pajamas and a warm hat as soon as I arrived.
Living Situation
SIT guarantees that every homestay student will have a private bedroom and a bathroom that is either private or only shared with members of the same gender. My room at my homestay has a shower and sink inside of the room that only I use, in addition to a separate bathroom that is mostly private (occasionally I share it if my family has guests over).
I love my little room; it looks out over the street, which gives me a great view of the stray cats my host mom feeds. It has a space heater if I need it, although normally I prefer to sit in the living room when it’s cold.
The view from my window in the evening.
Food
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury:
about his enemies
my client knows not a thing.
And I can assure you,
were he to encounter
the entire crew
of the aircraft carrier Enterprise,
he’d serve them eggs
sunny-side up,
and labneh
fresh from the bag.
Ali, Taha Muhammad. “Abd el-Hadi Fights a Superpower.” Translated by Peter Cole, Yahya Hijazi, and Gabriel Levin, So What, Copper Canyon Press, 2006.
Okay, sooooo…. the food here is amazing. Like seriously, sometimes I put food into my mouth and I can’t even believe that it tastes so good.
Mansaf, the national dish of Jordan. The meat on top is cooked with yogurt and served over rice.
My host mom is a wonderful cook and makes sure that I try all of the typical Jordanian foods. My favorite so far is mlokhia (ملوخية), a green related to okra that tastes a little like spinach. Maqluba (مقلوبة), a dish with rice and chicken flipped upside down, and baba ghanouj (بابا غنوج), a dip made from eggplant, are also both delicious.
We usually eat the largest meal of the day around 5:00 when I get back from class. It usually includes one or two main dishes, labneh (yogurt), salaata (salad), and pita bread. In the morning I eat a lighter breakfast before I leave for class. Normally it includes tea, pita bread with olive oil and zaatar, dates, and/or cake.
In the night, we drink a lot of tea to stay warm and eat cake or other snacks. Sometimes we also drink Turkish coffee, a very sweet and strong coffee flavored with cardamom.
Tea in a mug with Handala. As is the case for a majority of Jordanians, my host dad’s origin is Palestinian.Turkish coffee
Kitty
I was overjoyed when I found out that my family has a cat. Basbousa is adorable! And wacky! And incredibly fluffy!
I’ve met plenty of street cats in Amman who are much friendlier than Basbousa—Basbousa knows she has special privileges, and she is either playful or utterly indifferent as the mood strikes her. My family says that she’s majnooneh: crazy.
Basbousa does not like having pictures taken.
I cannot stress enough how important my host family has been to my experience here in Jordan. When I am unsure about safety, I check with them. When I want to learn more Arabic vocab, I ask my host dad. If I need clarification about cultural practices that confuse me, I talk to my host mom. I love going shopping with my host parents and trying to pick out the numbers when my host mom is haggling. When I go out with my friends from SIT, we stand out as group of foreigners; with my host family, it is easier to be a fly on the wall observer.
I have to get back to studying Arabic now—until next time, مع السلامة (goodbye)!
Quote of the week: “If you don’t do it this year, you will be one year older when you do.” – Warren Miller
I finally did it! There was one thing that I told myself I had to do at least once while I was in Denver: Skiing!! This past weekend my roommate and I went skiing at Loveland Ski Area which is about an hour outside of Denver. We headed out around 7 to beat the rush and to get there as soon as possible so we had a lot of time. The drive to Loveland is gorgeous with the rocks surrounding you and the houses that are all along the mountainside. It is honestly worth simply driving to see all of the things surrounding you. The weather was terrible which was partially good, because it meant that the locals were not there so it was less busy. Waiting for rentals was the longest part because if you do not make reservations, you have to wait until there is time for people to be available. So, note for next time – make a rental reservation.
Mountains on the way to Loveland
It took about an hour to get all the rentals which was the easiest part of it all. We drove over to the valley, which is where the beginner slopes are, because I have never been downhill skiing before. So… I desperately needed those. The most difficult part was getting up the slight hill to the rainbow carpet for the bunny hills. But once I got up, it was not too bad.
When I originally thought of bunny hills I thought of barely any slope and super easy. Oh boy, was I wrong. The bunny hill was still relatively steep and you still needed the skill to maneuver around all of the kids and others learning how to ski. So in the 3 runs I did down the bunny hills, I can confidently say I fell down at least once. But when it really got hard is when we went up to the first green. When I went up, I was terrified of what was in front of me. But I did it. And while I was not able to traverse for pretty much the entire day, it was a ton of fun. Skiing is something that I could see myself doing a lot in the future, although I have to admit it is an extremely expensive hobby.
The staff at Loveland were really nice. The original skis that I was given worked fine for a while until I fell really hard and they came off like they are supposed to. But then they decided not to clip onto my boots. So, I took them in to get them fixed before we took a quick break to warm up a little bit because it was freezing due to the wind and snow. When we went back out, they still would not clip in, so I had to take them back. And I was just given a new pair of skis because they could not figure out what was wrong with them. The new pair had just been waxed which made it a lot harder because they were much more slippery. The more slippery the better most of the time, but for someone who really does not know what they are doing – AKA me – it made it a lot harder for some things. About halfway through our day we took a break and had some hot chocolate to warm us up because it was freezing outside.
Because it was not super busy it made it easier to get a lot of runs in, even after they shut down half of them due to the high winds. In the five and a half hours we were there, I got better but definitely did not completely figure it all out. The last run was my best, even though I fully got stuck halfway down, but once I got back up the rest of it was amazing!
There is something magical about skiing. You are going so fast, with the wind flying against your face, and honestly there is not much to stop you, other than trees and falling. But the freedom I felt was different, there was a little bit of worry, but not enough to stop me from continuing to fail almost every time I went down the hill. It was different. It was incredible.
The cutest thing to watch while skiing is the parents teaching their young children to ski or snowboard. Excitement and joy are the two things that you can see on kids’ faces when they are going down the mountain. It is crazy to me how young they learn, but also it is much easier to learn those types of things when you are young. The parents use straps that are hooked onto the kids with harnesses to hold onto them as they are going down the mountain to keep them from going too fast. I wish that this was something I could have taken a picture of, but sadly it was not.
After five and a half hours of skiing we were very tired, but it was very worth it and I enjoyed every second of it. And the skyline of the city was gorgeous.
Quote of the week: “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” – H.G. Wells
It has been a minute since I had the time to write an update. But to be honest, not much has happened in the past few weeks. The burnout of the long days has started to set in. That does not mean that we stopped doing fun things though!
Last Sunday, a few of my housemates and I went to watch the sunrise at Red Rocks. This meant getting up at 5 in the morning which was a struggle, and it was not really worth it. The weather was pretty cloudy that day, so it was not the picture-perfect sunrise that everyone talks about. But it was still gorgeous and worth the early morning. But going with friends made it more fun because of the conversations, pictures, and all of the panting while we were walking up all of the steps.
Going to Red Rocks points out all of the active people that live in Denver. It is a huge thing that I wish was more consistent all over the U.S. People’s health would be so much better if we all spent more time outside and moving around. So here is your PSA to go outside and do something active today, whether that is a walk, or going to the gym, or anything that does not involve sitting on a couch or in your bed scrolling on your phone! Something that highlights the active lifestyles in Denver is the REI outlet store that is very close to downtown. There was one Saturday that we decided to go to the REI Outlet, and it was incredible! I have never been to an outdoorsy store that was that big! And on top of that there was an insanely big sale section! So, if you are looking for hiking, camping, climbing, or outdoor aimed brands – go to an REI outlet because it is way cheaper. I say this with full transparency: none of us actually bought anything, but it is still cheaper.
The thing that I heard the most from people when I would tell them I was going to Denver for a semester was ‘start making your plans to move there once you graduate, because you are not going to want to leave.’ If I am being honest, it is gorgeous here. Seeing the mountains almost every day is a reminder at how incredible our world really is. Being able to walk outside in shorts and a t-shirt in January was not something that I was planning on, but it is nice to be able to have the different types of weather even within one day. But I think the best part of it is the sun. Growing up in Michigan with the typical winters that we get I am used to almost no sun from November to around April. Whereas Denver has sun almost every day! And when I say sun, I mean zero clouds, blue skies, and blinding sunlight that makes it difficult to see even with sunglasses on. The impact that it has on a person’s mental health is clear though. There are less moments of stress, and even when there are, it is much easier to simply go outside and feel better about what is going on because of the beauty and the picture-perfect mountains that are across the skyline.
Last week was Superbowl Sunday! So of course, that meant that as a house we put together some fun stuff and watched it together. A lot of laughs and an amazing halftime show later, one person was thrilled with the outcome and the rest of us were very sad. But that was not really the point of it anyway. It was more to just have fun and watch the Superbowl game. And the halftime show was incredible! I am not entirely sure how people see it as bad, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I am not going to try and change their minds.
Part of the Denver Urban Semester is having an internship. This semester I am interning at Denver Rescue Mission which is one of the biggest rescue missions in the country. It has over 300 employees and houses around 1,174 people per night across their 9 locations. They have 24/7 shelters for those who want to turn their lives around as long as they follow the community guidelines and can make it back by the 8pm curfew. Their goal is to ensure that people can get back up on their feet, while providing opportunities for them to participate in programs that help with that. Providing rehabilitation, case workers, 3 meals a day, a place to live, and opportunities to work to build a resume. I am interning with the public relations team, I get to help with things such as social media posts, event planning and set up/tear down, blog posts, marketing strategies by helping edit and update brand guides, and taking pictures at events. There have been a lot of things that I have learned so far that I never knew existed in the realm of non-profit work. The Mission is currently working with an outside company called The Lion Project to create a new welcome video for new employees during their orientation. With this they have to write a video script which plans out the questions that are going to be asked in hope to get certain answers, and the shots they want to go with each part. It also has a filming schedule for the day to plan out certain time periods to get things done. The day I got to shadow the content creator and marketing manager, as well as the videographer and producer from The Lion Project for this video has been my favorite day so far. The whole thing overall has been a huge learning experience and I am so grateful for the people that I get to work with and learn from.
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