Category: All

Preparing for Finals

Submitted by Emma Smith the 2024 Spring program in London, England…

As finals week is coming up, it can be hard to get into a studying or homework routine in a new country. I am so used to going to the library or a student center at my home institution that I struggled to find my groove in a new place. London is a city with cafes on every corner. Cafes are a great way to sit down and grab a coffee and get some work done. But, if this is not your vibe, there are public libraries all over the city as well. It can be useful to do a group study session and continue to get to know other people in your classes as well as compare notes and grasp a different perspective on the class material and assignments. This time of year London is becoming warmer and the sun is coming out more often as well, so parks are also a great place to get some work done. I loved sitting on a bench at the park and taking in the spring air while also watching all the dogs run around. Finals can be extremely stressful but it is always important to remember to still enjoy yourself while abroad and make the most of your last few days. (Submitted on April 25,2024)

NOMA

Submitted by Samantha Jennings the 2024 Spring program in Copenhagen, Denmark…

This week in the Culinary LLC we had the once in a lifetime opportunity to take a tour of one of the best restaurants in the world, Noma. Noma has three Michelin Stars and was awarded a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, it was also named the number one restaurant in the world in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2021. It truly was an amazing experience. Our guides, 

Sebastian and Caroline, have been working for Noma for eight and six years, respectively. They gave us an unforgettable behind-the-scenes experience of the restaurant. Our journey began in the greenhouses, where we learned how restaurant staff plant and garden their own herbs and vegetables to use in recipe development. Next, we walked under the archway in order to begin our experience in entering the restaurant. The facade of the restaurant is composed of six separate small buildings united by a glass roof. We entered Noma through the front door and were able to see how the tables are dressed in the dining room and lounge. Since it is the springtime, and therefore seafood season, the entire menu is structured around courses that involve seafood or maritime elements. As a result, the dining room and lounge are decorated to compliment this maritime menu. Seaweed hangs from the ceiling and the dishware includes pops of green and navy coloring. Each season of the year brings a new menu to the restaurant, along with new decor. Changing the decor to match the menu in this way adds to the fine dining experience of the restaurant. Although, despite this there are still elements of typical fine dining that are missing from the Noma experience, such as pressed tablecloths or chefs decorated in pristine white coats. Instead, Noma focuses on creating a homestyle guest experience in which guests feel welcomed and comfortable in the space. Next, we moved on to a short tour of the kitchens. We saw the display kitchen, where dishes are assembled for presentation; the prep kitchen, where more labor intensive elements of the dishes are prepared and cooked; and finally the test kitchen, where all of the recipe development takes place. It was truly a wonderful experience. Sebastian and Caroline even gave us a parting gift of a special bottle of liquid mushroom-umami seasoning to remember our tour by. I can’t wait to use it in my own recipe development at home! (Submitted on April 24,2024)

Festival Fun

Submitted by Samantha Jennings the 2024 Spring program in Copenhagen, Denmark…

As we are nearing the end of the semester, I decided to try and seek out some fun things to do in Copenhagen this week! I found that the Japanese Embassy in Denmark was holding a Sakura, or cherry blossom festival in Langelinie Park. I decided to go to the festival to check out how the Danes celebrate Japanese culture. There were so many different stalls with vendors selling everything from macarons and red bean pancakes to anime pins and replica samurai swords. The cherry blossoms were absolutely breathtaking. In the clearing in the center of the park a stage was set up and we watched a kendama and a bosei performance. The food at the festival smelt amazing. I tried peanut and red bean mochi for the first time and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor. I also got a mushroom onigiri with mushrooms harvested from Bygaard, the sustainable mushroom farm that we visited a few weeks ago! Overall I had a great time exploring Japanese culture in Denmark and I look forward to seeking out other festivals like this in the future! (Submitted on April 24,2024)

Hong Kong Living

Submitted by Navleen Kaur the 2024 Spring program in Singapore, Republic of Singapore…

I visited Hong Kong this past weekend and I had the best time exploring this beautiful city on my own. I did a lot of research beforehand because I wanted to make sure that my experience of solo traveling went as smoothly and comfortably as possible. In my research, I discovered some must-try food items in Hong Kong: egg tarts from Bakehouse, and milk tea, French toast, pineapple buns from the local cha chaan tengs (Hong Kong-style diners). I made sure to try these local delicacies and found the egg tarts from Bakehouse to be my favorite. I would describe Hong Kong as having the same hustle and bustle of NYC but the cleanliness of Singapore. The population density in this city is very high! To accommodate so many residents in limited space, apartments are very tall. Hong Kong is built on a mountainous region, so the geographical area where buildings can be built is less. Furthermore, I discovered that the low Google reviews of the majority of restaurants and diners in Hong Kong are not a reflection of the food but rather a reflection of the customer service. In Hong Kong, many restaurants, especially the popular ones, have many people to seat and mouths to feed. As a result, the waiters can be feisty. I am glad I did this research beforehand and knew what to expect because I would have probably gotten startled and a little offended had I not. Instead of viewing the people as rude, I learned it is simply part of the Hong Kong culture. The waiters are simply trying to be efficient and get your food to you as fast as possible. Something else I learned on this trip is that Buddhism is popular in this region. I didn’t know there would be so many temples I could visit. I visited the Po Lin Monastery, Wong Tai Sin Temple, and Man Mo Temple and loved witnessing local people pray and pay their respects. Additionally, I noted that the shopping malls in Hong Kong (just like in Singapore) have the most beautiful and complex architecture and interior design. I kept wondering throughout my trip how long it must have taken to build such expansive malls. The one that impressed me the most was the K11 Musea. This mall had high-end stores, an IMAX theater, and a wonderfully diverse food court. Overall, my Hong Kong trip was enlightening, and I am grateful I got to immerse myself in a different culture! (Submitted on April 23,2024)

A Night at the Theater

Submitted by Julia Scott the 2024 Spring program in Paris, France…

Before I leave Paris, it is very important to me that I see live performances and theater while I am here, even if just once. This past weekend I was lucky enough to have friends who felt the same way, and we bought tickets and attended my first Rocky Horror Picture Show. Typically, this performance is a very strange ritual that sticks to eccentric and vulgar traditions that have been expanded upon for decades. The musical, a cult-classic film from the 70’s, is explicit and odd, the very definition of queer culture, however what I saw was different from those high-participation shows. The theater we attended was formal, with seats with tables and a professional stage rather than a makeshift lip syncing arena. The audience was surprisingly old, and everyone was sitting politely drinking glasses of white wine and showing their enthusiasm in the form of a statement piece, or slightly more mascara than they are used to applying. My friends and I showed up in heavy makeup and flirty outfits, but I don’t think we would have been scorned if we decided to take it to the next level of drama. The performance was live, and the entire show I was absolutely dazzled at the talent of the actors’ abilities. They also had very convincing American accents and I thought they must have been a foreign tour coming to Paris, but would sometimes adlib entirely in French. I think the star of the show was the actress who played Columbia, she was hilarious. All in all, an excellent performance and a lovely night out with my friends. If you come to Paris, be sure to catch some live theater performances! (Submitted on April 23,2024)

Visiting the Villa Farnesina

Submitted by Sydney Ballenger the 2024 Spring program in Rome, Italy…

This week marks my last full week of school! Next week, we have a short three days before a long weekend to study for finals. I can’t believe it is already the end of the semester, but I feel ready to finish strong and go home. It has been an incredible experience, often unbelievable, amazing, and exhausting at the same time. This week, in my on-site sociology class, we visited Villa Farnesina, located just off the banks of the Tiber River. The Villa was less than a five minute walk from campus and I realized as we entered, that I had walked past it many times this semester and not realized what it was. The Villa Farnesina is a renaissance era villa, located in Trastevere, built for the Pope’s banker in the early 1500s. It is beautiful, decorated with frescoes painted by artists like Raphael. The frescoes on the bottom floor display some of Raphael’s only secular works, depicting the myth of Cupid and Psyche. The frescoes are well preserved and beautiful. The Villa Farnesina also features an attempt at unity between the outdoors and indoors, with frescoes of gardens painted around the bottom floor and huge windows assimilating the indoors with the outdoors. In Rome, art and history is everywhere and the villa we visited in class is just one example of the sheer abundance of both in every corner of Rome. One semester will never be enough time to explore it all, but I look forward to my last two weeks of exploring. (Submitted on April 22,2024)

Zoo to Surpass All Zoos

Submitted by Riley Hazel the 2024 Spring program in Singapore, Republic of Singapore…

Last weekend I went to the Singapore Zoo which includes Rover Wonders, Zoo, Bird Paradise and the world’s first Night Safari. I will say right now that this zoo is unlike any other that I’ve been to. Even Singaporean residents can agree that this zoo is the best one they will ever go to more than any US Zoo. From my own experience, it was an amazing time doing all 4 parks in a weekend. I loved seeing all the unique animals like the Sun Bear, Red and regular Pandas, and even the many different bird species. The zoo, and River Wonders were normal walk through the zoo experiences but the Bird Paradise and Night Safari was something else. Firstly, the Night Safari was awesome to see all the nocturnal creatures that you typically would never see, especially walking around the enclosures at night. I was fortunate enough to see the Kiwi, Tasmanian Devil, a White Tiger, and even some male Lions calling out. At the Night Safari, you’re able to walk around to the big and small enclosures, but then you’re able to take a tram to see even more animals in the larger enclosures. As for the Bird Paradise, it was the first time in my life to be surrounded by those many foreign bird species, especially in a netted dome where the birds fly freely around you. The funny part of it was that a Lorikeet landed on my shoulder and walked around on my shoulders before I let it off. It was an amazing experience to see all those beautiful birds and some dinosaur looking ones too! Hearing their calls around you as well as their wings flapping can assure me that these birds are happy and well taken care of. Each dome was specific to the bird’s regions and their vegetation. By far, it was the most incredible experience that I feel I’ll ever experience and so different from back home. It was a lot more open, spread out, and a well taken care of wildlife sanctuary. Everything bought, even the tickets, has conservation included meaning the money goes towards conserving wildlife within the park and other areas around the world. I loved everything the Mandai Wildlife Sanctuary stood for, even encouraging visitors to think about helping these animals that are endangered or close to extinction. Moreso, the Zoos in the US are mainly all about the money and sometimes the animals don’t live in decent conditions especially for the climate. The penguin was the best sustainable habitat at the Bird Paradise as the dome around the habitat collects rainwater to reuse. That habitat for the King, and Rockhopper penguins was given a Platinum medal for sustainable and perfection as they were one of the only zoos to create a perfect sub-Antarctic climate. By far, this was one of the best, sustainable, and perfect zoo to wildlife parks I’ve ever been to, more than back home. (Submitted on April 22,2024)

Parks and Gardens in London

Submitted by Emma Smith the 2024 Spring program in London, England…

After being in a city for three months, I was really missing how it feels to be outside with blooming trees and flowers like what I would normally see at home. So, my friends and I decided to explore more of London’s parks and gardens to get a sense of what spring is like here in London. We went to the Kensington Gardens and Palace. The garden is a big open space where people can go for a run, walk their dogs, or just lay down for a picnic. The Palace is right next to it and the palace is now a museum but it was first the home to many queens and kings of the royal family. The palace was filled with old art works, furniture, clothing, and even their jewels like tiaras and necklaces the queens used to wear. We also walked around Greenwich park which is a big park in Greenwich, London and we got to lay in the grass and soak up the sun. We also visited Victoria and Embankment Gardens which is a walking train garden now filled with blooming tulips. This was my favorite garden because all the flowers were gorgeous and it really made it feel like spring was in the air. Being in a city can be difficult sometimes when it comes to wanting to go for a walk in a park or just see the blooming flowers, but all of these places in London were so beautiful. (Submitted on April 21,2024)

Week 14

Submitted by Hannah Scheck the 2024 Spring program in Sydney, Australia…

A successful week at work! I had to say goodbye to some friends this week, but my sister came to visit! We went out for breakfast at Pancakes On The Rocks. We went on the Big Bus Sydney Tour. I showed her the Queen Victoria Building. We did a tour of the Opera House accompanied by seeing their outdoor performance of West Side Story. I took her to Paddy’s Market to shop for 

souvenirs. We met two celebrities walking down the street, Keegan Michael Key and Tony Shalhoub! We pet and feed some local Australian animals at Featherdale Wildlife Sanctuary. We rode the rides and enjoyed the shows at Luna Park. As sad as I am that this trip will be coming to an end soon and I have to say goodbye to my friends and Sydney, seeing my sister was just the push I needed to power through. (Submitted on April 21,2024)

Making Friends While Studying Abroad

Submitted by Olivia Tadlock the 2024 Spring program in Limerick, Ireland…

One thing that I was worried about when I went abroad was making friends. I was going to a new place where I didn’t know anyone, and I wasn’t sure how easily I could make friends. However, during the first week, I met so many new people and it was really easy for me to make new friends because all of the study abroad students were trying to meet new people too! The University of Limerick also has a lot of different clubs and societies, and I joined a few of them and made a few friends through the clubs here. Now that I’m almost done with my semester in Ireland, I have met a lot of people and have made a few very close friends! While the thought of making friends was stressful at first, everything turned out alright. (Submitted on April 20,2024)