Before leaving for Berlin I was made aware that my program offered internships during our time abroad. Like everything else, I knew I had to take advantage of this opportunity. I imagined how much of a truly invaluable experience it would be, so I began the process. While filling out the questionnaire I was torn between being honest and having no idea what I want to do, or doing what I thought I should do, a corporate internship. I decided the former and was placed at Rainmaking Loft Berlin; which is exactly where I needed to be without knowing it.
Rainmaking Loft Berlin is a co-working and events space for tech startups with locations also in London and Denmark. They offer working space, facilities, events, and a sense of community. The members of the loft work closely together in open spaces and come from all over the world to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. One can walk in and hear countless languages and innovative ideas which is pretty amazing.
My internship lasted for six weeks and consisted of a plethora of task. I went in everyday for about 4 hours, sometimes more depending on if there are any events going on. I have been able to see behind the scenes of how you run a business, have been given my own project, have met so many amazing people with great ideas and have learned more about myself in the process. It’s great to be in such a driven setting that is also so much fun at the same time.
Although I have had a variety of jobs from working in a restaurant to being a study abroad peer advisor in the US, I had not yet completed an internship. It was really nice to be able to see aspects of how a business works internally. I was able to attend weekly staff meetings and hear about each position, have lunch everyday with my team and others, as well as learn and speak to many successful people. That was one was my favorite parts; the people. I loved being around intelligent and driven entrepreneurs at the Loft. Everyone was so open and willing to share about their company and vision, and give me advice for my future endeavors.
CIEE did a great job of matching my personality with a company and I believe the same for my classmates. I am so thankful I was able to do an internship while in Berlin. I learned so much in such a short time from working in an international setting. I know as I enter the working world, the skills and values that I’ve learned at the Loft will be a great asset. Companies are valuing international competency more and more as the world becomes increasingly interconnected . Although I’m sad my time has come to an end at the Loft, I’m looking forward to what is yet to come and thankful for my time.
To the left, you will notice something green and slimy on the tip of my finger. I understand your concern, yes, but this indeed is a bit of algae that grows on the rocks surrounding Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca, Peru. It can in fact be made into a soup that the locals have told me is delicious. Regretfully I have never tried it, but if I return after the program someday, perhaps I will!
While I am on this note, I think it’s worthwhile to mention that some 30% of Peru’s glaciers have disappeared in the past several decades due to a process we refer to in Spanish as calentamiento mundial (global warming). Considering the role that these glaciers play in the life of South America’s ecosystem, the day they outright disappear will be extremely destructive for the region’s people and biodiversity. In many ways, flooding caused by global warming has already affected people greatly.
countries, or at the very least, continents, to look radically different. However, in many ways Tangier looked like another Spanish city, with tall buildings and an arid, Mediterranean climate. That being said, the first and perhaps most prominent difference I was delighted to notice was the clothing. As many know, Morocco is a predominantly Muslim and a therefore conservative country. Women often wear long, gorgeous, colorful dresses and head scarves and men wear their own version of dress or long tunic with small hats. As one with an affinity for fashion, I was enthralled to see such a different and beautiful style of dress. Here is a woman wearing very traditional clothing and a traditional hat. The next four days were a blur of beauty, travel, people, exhaustion, and amazement. With the help of our guide “Marky” Mark (I honestly have no idea why this became his nickname…) 17 of us became an inseparable group of young American sponges absorbing all there was to see, do, hear, taste, and touch. Side note: we were divided into small groups for the sake of travel ease, but 100 of us went in total! While in Tangier we roamed this city and visited the DARNA, an organization designed to help women as they are often in rather disadvantaged situations economically and socially. Here we met Hafsa, Sara, and Muhammad, three locals with whom we had very intriguing discussions about religion, women’s rights, homosexuality, politics, and everything else in between.
abat we met two more local students, Aishah and Muhammad (a VERY common name in Morocco). We heard their perspectives on marriage, education, and the current king Muhammad VI (told you). This trip taught me so much about Islam. I loved learning about its nuances as well as the commonalities and differences it has with my own religion Christianity. The primary difference between the two is that Islam claims Jesus to be a great prophet but not the Son of God. Moreover, He did not die on the cross! It was a friend who looked similar to him who died, according to Aishah and Muhammad. I confess I almost found this comical to imagine a parent trap kind of switch with Jesus and His doppleganger. However, I of course respect Islam though I may not agree.
public bathhouse. Not a sauna, a full on, mostly naked or completely naked set of rooms with water splashing, soap scrubbing, and women of every shape and size imaginable. We left shocked but confident having received a serious boost of self-esteem in our body images. The media does not portray real women, so while jarring to see complete strangers stripped down the skin, we were reminded that there is no perfect shape. I am glad that I went, but I would not go again. After visiting the humaam feeling clean and sleepy, we had traditional henna done, another tourist moment. I think this was the most Moroccan we felt, decked out in intricate henna having scrubbed ourselves clean with Moroccan women minutes before.
had Moroccan meatballs, traditional flatbread, beets, kebabs, and the most popular Moroccan dish: couscous. I think couscous is the Moroccan version of paella where it is made in massive vats and open to interpretation. Meals are concluded almost always with Moroccan tea: a very sweet brew with whole mint leaves and flowers floating throughout. I am not a huge fan of tea, but this was delicious.
do (I confess I forget his area of study!); and Fatimzhra El Adnani, who is studying English but is actually passionate about Psychology. These are just some of the many students I spent the afternoon getting to know. They are all rather liberal in stark contrast to their environment as aforementioned, but very respectful and open to ideas. They collectively have excellent taste in music and spontaneously dance well. “You have to come back to Morocco,” said Eddie to me. “There are too many beautiful places you have yet to see.” Agreed.
ure and religion throughout this semester and I am so grateful! For example, we happened to walk through a small cemetery and as we were walking, Ari stopped to place small stones on any headstone we paused to observe. I asked him why he was doing this to which he replied that it is a Jewish custom and sign of respect for the dead. Through his faith Ari shows respect to heavily Catholic Spaniards who have passed on even though the Catholics are responsible for a fair amount of hardship for the Sephardic Jews of Spain.
than memorization and so forth. Recently we discussed the complex topic of women’s rights and feminism. We both agree that too often society has established when a woman can complain and when she is “overacting” or “misreading a situation.” Instead, if a woman feels uncomfortable in a situation, it doesn’t matter whether or not the situation is in fact dangerous, misunderstood, or questionable; what matters is that she feels uncomfortable and has every right to leave or make requests to amend the situation. End feminist rant. Elana has been a fun, kindred spirit to get to know this year. Please enjoy this dramatic photo of her.
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