Global Colgate

A few differences between the U.S. and the U.K.

1.    Although my study group director warned us that the outlets in the U.K. need to be turned on in order for them to work (simply plugging something in isn’t enough, as it is in the U.S.), I tend to forget about that. Therefore, I was getting somewhat impatient after ten minutes of waiting for my water to boil on the stove to make pasta, until my flatmate walked in and told me that the stove wasn’t on. (I ended up making Indian food with my flatmates for dinner instead). I’ve proceeded to make the same mistake multiple times since, although it hasn’t taken me quite so long to figure it out.

2.    The outlet incident was, if I remember correctly, the same day I learned how to do dishes U.K.-style. Unlike in the U.S. where there is just one faucet that can be temperature-adjusted, there is one hot faucet and one cold faucet. As it turns out, the British don’t wash their dishes under the hot faucet until it gets too hot to bear (the hot faucet is hot enough to make tea), then switch over to the cold faucet until it gets freezing cold, then back to the hot faucet, etc. (as I was doing for the first few days). Instead, they put a stopper in the sink and fill it up hot water, cold water, and dishwashing detergent. Brilliant.

在世新大学 （At Shih Hsin University)

While in Taiwan, we were brought to a number of different Taiwanese colleges and universities to listen to lectures, but more importantly interact with the students and faculty at these respective schools.  One of my most favorite experiences was at Shih Hsin University; it was at this location where our study group experienced a true Chinese welcome.  

Stamford Bridge and the week

I had some pretty exciting plans for Friday and Saturday.  However, I got sick so had to scrap my plans to visit Greenwich on Friday.  Despite still being sick Saturday, nothing short of being on my death bed was going to keep me from attending the Chelsea vs. Ipswich Town game with my friend Damien.  Braving the cold was totally worth it.  I got to the game an hour and a half early and from there just started soaking up the atmosphere along with 42,000 other fans.  Chelsea won 3-1 thanks to two goals from German Michael Ballack (one off an excellent free kick) and another sterling performance (capped off by a goal) from Super Frankie Lampard.  There was singing, there were goals, and most importantly Chelsea won to advance to the next round of the FA Cup.  All in all it was everything I could possibly imagine from attending my first ever Chelsea game.  The passion was like nothing in the states and you can't help but get caught up in it.  Even Damien, who is not a Chelsea supporter, could not help himself from singing Blue is the Color.  That is why we are the Famous Chelsea.

These past few days I have been busy with classes.  In the archives I have been able to get quite a bit of good research done there.  I am reasearching British Film during World War II with a particular emphasis on the Ministry of Information and the Ministry's Films Division.  I have been able to go through previously classified documents that have shed some new light on the topic.  Also, on Monday, I went to the first play for my theatre class.  It was "The Woman in Black" and I was not all that impressed.  The acting was fine and it used props well but I felt it was too predictable and ear shattering loud noise does not result in fright, only a headache.  Tomorrow I have the theatre class where we will presumably talk about Monday's play and I also have the History of London class.  This weekend I am going to be heading to Windsor on Friday (and grab some lunch with my cousin ... yay) and Cambridge on Saturday.  On Sunday I will have to find a good pub to watch Chelsea vs. Liverpool and hopefully see Chelsea gain some points in the table against one of our main rivals for the title.

I leave you with a couple of shots of Stamford Bridge and the awesomeness that is Chelsea Football Club.

Until next time,
Aaron

The Main Entrance to Stamford Bridge

The Stamford Bridge Pitch and Stands as Warmups Begin.

So Many Museums

We saw our first play of the semester, The Woman in Black, on Monday night.  It is a ghost story about a man who wishes to share his horrifying experience with his family.  The Woman in Black is interesting because it is a play within a play.  All of the roles are divided between three characters (one of whom is the ghost).  The play was genuinely scary at certain points, which was was only exacerbated by the group of middle school children in the audience screaming at every moment of suspense.

I had the opportunity to visit several museums in London this week.  I went to the Bank of England Museum yesterday, which outlines the history of the's banks formation in addition to some of its present-day functions.  The Bank of England Museum is one of only four places in the world where members of the public are permitted to touch a real gold bar.  I learned that there are three-hundred tons of gold currently stored beneath the bank!

Finally here

I arrived at the Tel Aviv airport after a nice 9-hour flight, having sat next to a chabad rabbai who spent most of the flight trying to get me to join his chabad.  It was an interesting experience, especially because he did not speak a word of English.  This incident gave me my first opportunity to converse in hebrew, a truly challenging and enlightening experience.  Later, in the cab going to campus, I had another interesting experience with the driver who went on a rant in Hebrew about how "weird" Tel Aviv residents are.  He was referring to the metropolitan-European feel that most people have around here, but he seemed very traditional and not exactly okay with this new trend in Israeli big cities.  I did a lot of head nodding and made some one-word responses in Hebrew, pretending not to notice how offensive he was being.  (He seemed more traditional, with seemingly orthodox Jewish values)  Both of these men gave me their phone numbers in case I wanted to contact them while I'm here.

The campus is centered around a couple of main streets just north of Tel Aviv.  Me and a couple of my neighbors spent the afternoon exploring local shops, finally locating a good falafel stand to grab our first lunch.  There is really no comparison to American falafel.  The quality of texture and flavor is something that cannot be achieved in the States.  It was the perfect lunch after 15 hours of traveling.  I am sorry for ranting about the falafel, but the food here is something that I am particular fond of, and I will be discussing it regularly.

Today, people have been hanging out in the dorms, meeting each other and figuring out mutual acquaintances that everyone seems to have.  Jewish geography is really a fascinating thing.  Tonight most people are taking it easy, as we have to wake up at 8 tomorrow for all-day orientation.  Ulpan (a month-long intensive hebrew course) begins on Sunday, but until then it looks like lots of exploring and hanging out on the beach.  The weather is reminiscent of Colgate in late April, making it very easy to walk around in sandals and shorts.  Not a bad deal.

Just thought I'd give this little overview of my first day. I'll blog again when I have some more interesting things to discuss...

IN TAIWAN (在台北和别的地方 = In Taipei and other places)

大家好！（da jia hao = big family, hello!)

It has been a long while since we last saw each other, and so much has changed since then.  This past week, my classmates and I have seen so much in Taiwan, that is nearly impossible to recount all of the experiences we have had in just one post.  Quite honestly, I have lost track of time, swept up in each moment until the time that has passed does not really matter as much as how it was spent.  So, we arrived in Taipei a day ahead of America... it was in the night, and the air was gentle and cool.

Portobello Road

I am never at a loss for things to do in London.  Yesterday my friends and I went to Portobello Road.  You know, "anything and everything a chap can unload?" (Bed Knobs and Broomsticks).  Let me tell you, it's the truth!  There was literally everything, from antiques and jewelry to food and clothes, at Portobello Road.  It was almost overwhelming to walk up and down the street in a mob of people looking at all kinds of merchandise.  On the way back to our flat, we walked through Hyde Park.  It is so incredible to see green in the middle of winter!  It is also great to hear birds chirping, which is something that I definitely miss during 'gate winters.

Today we went to Covent Garden.  It's a touristy square of shops and small cafes.  There was a string quartet performing in the center of the square, which was fun to watch.  One of the great things about London is that almost everything is within walking distance.  After Covent Garden, we went to the National Portrait Gallery.  I saw original portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and Shakespeare that I have always seen small copies of in my British Literature books!

Culture Shock... in London?

In my first week here, I've been adapting to the culture shock that I didn't think I would experience in London. Everything is very similar, but just slightly different. All of the brands in the grocery store are different, so its hard to tell at first what to buy. The eggs are not refrigerated, which made me nervous at first. No one here buys a lot of groceries at a time, I guess because it is a city and it is much more convenient to go to the store more often.

They are also much more environmentally conscious. Everywhere you go, they do not automatically offer you bags. You are expected to reuse your bags or try to fit everything in one bag. 

Also, it is much more common to see people casually drinking wine or beer in the early afternoon and evening. Pubs, on the other hand, are only open until 11. 

I'm getting used to the windy streets here. Unlike New York, the streets are very very old and were never laid out on a grid system. It can be hard to find your way, but as long as you remember things by their compass directions, it isn't so hard to remember where things.

The television never fails to interest me. The programs are similar to those in the U.S. or in many instances, the same, but the sense of humor is very different and the standards for curse-words and content aren't as strict as in the U.S.

This week has been so much fun. On Wednesday morning the Economics group went to the Meat Market where we were able to see a real functioning market in action. We had to wear white coats and white hard hats! The market is only open from 3 until 8 in the morning and they sell the freshest meat available. However, the butchers did say that even though the market is very old, they are suffering from competition from the Super-markets that sell over-priced and more convenient options. 

This is a picture of Kevin and I at the meat market, I was very sad because we had to wake up at 4:45 to go there, but overall it was a really interesting field-trip, even though we did have to see a lot more meat than I would have liked.

Also, everyone on the Economics trip went to dinner in small groups with my Professor and his wife. They have a newborn baby who I baby-sat during one of the dinners. She was so little!! When my turn came to go out to dinner we went to the first Punjabi (Indian) Restaurant in London. It was so fun to go out to dinner with our Professor.

Today we are going to do our homework in the British Museum to prepare for class tomorrow, and tomorrow night we are going to our first play for our Theater class! I can't wait.

Until next time,

Jess

Orientation Week

Prynhawn da! ("Good afternoon" in Welsh)

My busy first week at Cardiff has come to a close, and, well, it was quite busy. At this point, I've done much of the shopping that I needed to get out of the way, such as bedding, cookware, a cell phone (called a mobile) and a guitar.

Since my last post on Tuesday on the day that I arrived, I have spent most of my time on orientation activities with the other Colgate and international students. On Wednesday we had a campus tour of the university and a tour of the Cardiff Castle, where I picked up my favorite new phrase - "rabbiting on" - which means "talking pointlessly." The view from the top of the Castle was amazing, and even though it was a bit cloudy that day, I could see the entire city of Cardiff laid out in front of me.

Sunny skies, here I come!

Hello out there! My name is Samantha Almozara and I am currently a junior at Colgate University. I am majoring in psychology and am also pursuing a minor in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. This semester I will be studying abroad at the University of Wollongong in Australia with Professor Mulry of the Computer Science department. My experiences with traveling are very limited and as a result, I am feeling several different emotions over the prospect of living so far away from home for four months. Of course I am very excited. Studying abroad is an opportunity that I have looked forward to since my oldest sister spent a semester in Venice her senior year in college. And I can't wait to trade the northeast winter for the Australian summer.

At the same time, I am also very nervous. I love Colgate and as my semesters of college are becoming fewer in number, it is hard for me to stomach spending one of my final semesters in a far away land. Fortunately, I don't leave for Australia until February 16th and so I have plenty of time to adjust to the idea of being away from Colgate (and to stress myself out). In the time that I have before I leave for Australia, I plan on reading a travel book about Australia so that I can figure out where I want to go when I get there. I am currently planning my schedule for this semester and it looks like I won't have any Thursday or Friday classes which is perfect for exploring the country. As my date for departure gets closer and closer, I get more excited. At this point, I can't imagine myself walking around in Australia but in three weeks, that will be my reality. I think that this semester is going to be a truly unique and adventure-filled one and I can't wait to share it with all of you wonderful people!  

Traveling through the British Museum and my tastebuds

This week I went to Egypt...well not exactly. I went as close as I could get to Egypt in the British Museum.  The heads of pharaohs and the remnants of hieroglyphs immediately caught my eye. I walked right past the Rosetta stone because I didn't even see it through the people crowding around its glass case. I can't believe the Museum is only a block or so away from the flats.  It is so gigantic I have to give myself some kind of time limit before I go in so I don't spend my whole day inside.

History and Theater in London

Hello!  I am thoroughly enjoying my time in London so far.  Even though it has only been a week, I feel very comfortable living here.  Today we explored the Geffrye Museum, which displays the various styles of English homes and gardens over the last four-hundred years.  It was very interesting to read about how different fads and styles in other parts of the world have influenced English architecture over time.

Yesterday was the first day of our history of London class and our theater class.  History of London, taught by Dr. Schofield, seems very interesting.  The lecture was about the ways in which building styles have changed over time.  Professor Schofield is an archaeologist and introduced some basic archaeological concepts into the lecture. 

Inauguration and more

So as I am sure everyone is aware, yesterday was inauguration day.  I decided to go find a pub that was going to be showing the ceremonies.  Myself and a couple of friends went to a pub/bar/restaurant a couple of blocks away from the flats to watch it.  We wanted to experience it with non-Americans and we got that experience.  For 5PM on a workday, there were quite a few people there.  During Obama's speech, there was dead silence with the occasional round of applause.  Everyone appeared to be soaking up his every word.  Even the people working at the bar stopped to watch the speech.  All in all a very enlightening experience and Obama is splashed on the front page of every paper I have seen today.

First days of classes have gone well and classes seem really interesting.  Tomorrow, for the first time, I have my history of london class and theater class.  This weekend should be a lot of fun as well.  I plan on going to Windsor on Friday and I will be attending my first Chelsea game this Saturday.  Chelsea Blues vs. Ipswich Town Tractor Boys at Stamford Bridge.  I am a huge Chelsea supporter and it is incredibly exciting to be able to go, especially since their tickets are rather hard to come by.  I will be sure to blog about that experience.

Until next time,
Aaron

Settling in...

A word to the wise -- and by "the wise" I mean those who have not yet studied abroad:

Bring sleep medication.

I've been fortunate enough to have traveled all over the world at this point in my life, but I was not at all prepared for the task of simultaneously adjusting to a new timezone and settling into my apartment.  It's like being a freshman all over again.  As for the time difference...I honestly don't know what the deal is.  I haven't BEEN OUT LATE EVERY NIGHT or anything like that.  I'm not a napper, so getting over the jet lag has been more difficult for me than most, but thanks to Tylenol PM, Xanax, and various other wonders of modern medicine, I'm finally starting to feel refreshed. 

SO HOW'S CYPRUS?  I'm glad you asked.  So far so good.  So, so good. 

Still at home.....

Hi, my name is Ryan, I'm a junior and I'm from Trinidad and Tobago. Right now I'm still at home counting down the days until I leave for Australia (February 16th). I don't think that the reality that I'll be on the other side of the world has hit me yet! I really don't know what to expect of Australia, but i am looking forward to experiencing life on such a huge university campus (20,000 plus students).

It's going to be great to get away from the bitter New-York winter, in fact I was told that my apartment is a mere five-minute walk from the beach! I'm a computer Science major and I'm really excited to take a Computer Graphics course, as well as a Game-Design course. I'll be sitting on the beach, while I learn about designing video games, what else could one ask for?

In the first week that we arrive, we are supposed to be taking a trip to Sydney, so I'll let you'll know how that goes. I'm particularly excited to see the much talked about Sydney Opera House. If only February would come a little quicker!

First Classes & Inauguration Day!

Hi Everyone! I've been in London now for 5 days! So far we've done far too many things to mention. We have been walking all over the city, trying to soak it up and find our way around.

I know there are a bunch of bloggers on the London trip, and it sounds like we're all visiting the same attractions! 

My roommates and I also went to the wax museum as well to take advantage of the amazing goodwill toward Americans today. It was amazing walking around the city on Inauguration day, even my bank teller was extra nice to me and asked if I was excited for the Inauguration tonight. The enthusiasm and excitement at the pub where we watched the Inauguration was so much fun!

Today we had our first day of classes. We learned so much just on the first day about British Politics and the creation of the European Union. I thought it was interesting to learn about the position of the UK in the process. Our teachers both described that the UK 'dragged their feet' when it came to aligning economically and politically with continental Europe.

Tomorrow morning the Economics students here will be taking a tour of a busy Meat Market at 5:50 in the morning! We are all still a little jet-lagged, so hopefully this will help us finally get on the right schedule.

Until next time!

Jess

Made it to Cardiff!

    After two flights, a seven-hour layover, and a bus ride, I arrived in Cardiff at 11am this morning.  Despite the lack of sleep I got on the planes and bus, I don’t feel jetlagged or even all that tired (…yet?) considering I’ve been awake since 7am yesterday morning.  Since arriving, the other Colgate students on my study group and I have moved in to our flats, gone shopping at Tesco’s (think Super Wal-Mart) for bedding and other necessities, and are off to dinner in a few minutes.

    Wales is known for its great number of castles, but on our bus ride from London Heathrow Airport to Cardiff University, the first castle we saw was in England, right past the airport. This was Windsor Castle, and, according to our bus driver, this is where the royal family spends much of their time. He also told us that they were currently at the castle, evident from the flag that was waving from the top of the tower.

Madam Tussaud's

Today my friends and I went to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.  Normally, it is very expensive to buy tickets for this museum.  Today, however, entry is free for all Americans due to the unveiling of the Obama wax figure.  The wax figures ranged from celebrities such as Brad Pitt to Fidel Castro to Shrek.  The museum was very tourist-friendly and allowed us to take pictures of ourselves posing with the celebrities.  Some Colgate students were even interviewed by BBC London.  Look for us on the news!

Later today, we are going to watch the inauguration at a local pub, called London.  It is amazing how much excitement there is for Obama's inauguration here.  There will be parties all over the city tonight to celebrate.

Two months and counting...

Hi everyone! I’m Kristen Nozell (class of 2011) and I will be studying abroad with the Colgate program in Freiburg, Germany this semester. I don’t arrive in Germany until March 15^th, so it doesn’t feel quite real yet that I will be spending four and a half months living in Germany (and communicating in German)!

People have expressed confusion at the late start date. We start so late because we will be taking two classes at the University of Freiburg. This university runs on a quarter system, so we will be attending the summer semester, from April 20^th to July 25^th. The first 5 weeks or so, we will be traveling around (Switzerland, Prague, Berlin..). In addition to the two University classes, we will take two classes with Colgate German professor Claire Baldwin.

Big Ben and Buckingham Palace

I am already beginning to feel at home in London.  It is amazing how easy it is to walk from one end of the city to the other.  Walking out the front door of my flat is always an adventure.  I perpetually get lost, but it's fun to try and find my way back with the use of my handy London A-Z map.  This morning, I rode the tube for the first time.  It was incredibly easy to use, but I prefer to walk whenever possible.

Today my friends and I spent the day viewing some of the tourists attractions in the city.  We walked along the River Thames, which made me feel like I was in a park rather than in the midst of a city.  We saw the Queen Mary at the dock.  We also walked right up to Big Ben.  The intricate designs and coats of armor on Big Ben are made of gold.  We also saw the Tower of London, home of the Crown Jewels.  It is amazing to consider how much history is contained in this building!  We also saw Westminster Abby.  There were enormous stained glass windows, and statues of saints surround the Abby.