Over the past few weekends I’ve had the chance to experience India’s traditional medical practice, Ayurveda. As one of my gen-eds, I have already been taking a course through CIEE on Ayurveda. I am by no means pre-med, but I think there is value in having basic medical knowledge. And between the class field trips …
Tag Archives: CIEE
Darkness and Light
Opposites emphasize one another. Contrast refines prominence, allowing positive and negative moments to be felt more intensely. It’s misery that provides joy with a purpose. Darkness cannot be defined without talking about light. Death brings meaning to life itself. My weekend in Poland serves as a reminder that these worn out clichés do contain a great …
Happy Holi!
I finally got to do it. I finally got to play Holi. For those of you who don’t know, Holi is the Hindu festival of colors and it is an absolute party. Ever since I knew I was coming to India, it was the thing I was most excited about. And it’s pretty clear why. …
Traveling by Train
Trains have surpassed cars on my mental list “Favorite Modes of Transportation”. Don’t get me wrong, I miss driving already and nothing beats scream-singing “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind with maximum volume. But traveling by train opens the door to copious new possibilities. The convenient public transportation in Prague quickly became something I appreciate …
Avoiding Appropriation
Coming to India I knew there was a certain Eat, Pray, Love aesthetic I wanted to avoid. You know, whether it’s Vanessa Hudgens with her bejeweled bhindi, or the ‘intellectual’ trying to “find themselves” with south eastern philosophies, or all the white girls on Pinterest showcasing their ‘modern’ takes on henna—cultural appropriation is tacky. More …
Aimlessly Wandering
Passing a previously unnoticed quirky little shop or marveling at a building usually overlooked along a daily route are common occurrences here. Regardless of location, everyone typically recalls the perplexity of discovering something cool only blocks away from home after having settled in weeks, months, or even years ago. Yesterday alone, it happened to me …
No Cash
I’ve never cursed out an ATM before, but you travel abroad to try new things, right? For the past week, the ATM by my hostel has been marred with a hand-drawn “No Cash” sign. Back home this wouldn’t be an issue; I can’t even remember the last time I paid for something in cash in …
Czech This Out
Nervousness seemed unable to find me as I finally reached Prague, Czech Republic, on the peaceful morning of January 30th. This tranquility is likely connected to a few aspects of my arrival. Minutes before the plane touched down, the sun ascended from the horizon and danced across the city. The yellow-orange rays continued to provide me …
“At My Old School…”
I catch myself saying it all the time and it’s starting to get annoying. Sometimes I say it when the professor is ten minutes late for class. Sometimes it’s when I’m eating something new for breakfast. Sometimes it’s when I’m asked to hitch hike on campus. And sometimes I just say it: “at my …
Let’s Go Fly a Kite
Being in India, it’s hard to remember that we are in the winter months; the average temperature here is 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius)! Even so, people all across India have been celebrating the passing of the winter solstice. Each state (or even each individual family) celebrates the end of winter differently so I …
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