Evan Kline Writes from the University of Cape Town (South Africa)

When I was first deciding where to study abroad, my top priorities were finding a place with a unique culture, exciting adventure opportunities, and warm weather.  Also, I wanted to take some Finance and International Business courses while abroad, so I needed to find a university that had a wide range of business courses in English.  After a few months of research and deliberation, I decided to study abroad at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in Cape Town, South Africa.  And after being here for almost three months, the experiences I've had, along with the people I've met have enriched my life more than I could have ever imagined.  I could not have made a better decision than studying abroad here at UCT, and hopefully this post will give you a glimpse into my life over the past few months.  

Upon arriving in late January, I was blown away by the beauty and amazing weather of Cape Town.  Since the seasons are opposite here from the US, I arrived in the middle of summer.  The summer here in Cape Town is absolutely perfect; there is barely a cloud in the sky - just sunshine.  The locals here could not be more friendly, especially to Americans.  To my surprise, the people of Cape Town are extremely influenced by American culture.  Most of their popular music, movies, and TV shows all come from America.  I have been complimented on my accent, which is slightly southern since I'm from Memphis, by multiple locals.  They tell me that I sound like people from the shows and movies they watch; one local even asked if I knew Honey Boo Boo (I unfortunately do not for those who were wondering…)!

During our first two weeks in Cape Town, all abroad students in my program participated in two weeks of orientation- one week of specific program (CIEE) orientation and another week of orientation for all international exchange students.  The two weeks of orientation smoothed our transition into South Africa and allowed us time to explore the city since classes had not yet started. Some of the sights we visited included Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope, two of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  

Alongside learning the necessary orientation information and amazing sight visits, we were educated also on some South African culture, politics, and history, including Apartheid.  Basically, Apartheid was strictly enforced racial segregation by the white minority, and it only fully ended in the early 1990s, when Nelson Mandela was elected president.  Though segregation ended so recently, most Cape Townians seem so proud of their culture and history.  I can truly feel the pride and unity of the people here, for both their country as well as for The University of Cape Town.  

UCT is one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the continent; sitting at the foot of a large mountain, it is also one of the most beautiful schools I have ever seen.  The university has around 25,000 students from all over the world and attracts many extremely distinguished professors, especially in their business school.  In a number of my business classes here at UCT, we have learned about South Africa's dominant role in the continent, and world, as a growing power in international business.  Specifically, in one of my international business courses here, I have developed a better understanding of the obstacles facing an international growth market (South Africa as well as the entire continent of Africa) through case studies involving expansion of South African companies abroad and the entrance of foreign companies here, especially from the USA.  In one of my finance courses, South Africa's stock exchange is constantly compared to the financial markets of the United States; we nearly talk about the USA every day in class, even though we are half-way across the world.  After constantly hearing about the USA in so many of my business courses, I've gained a new appreciation for our country's global business leadership and influence.  And just as I had hoped, my coursework and lectures here in Cape Town have truly allowed me to develop an entirely understanding of the business sector back home and around the world.
 

My experience here so far has exceeded all of my expectations, and I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to study abroad in Cape Town.  Over the past few months, I have seen so many incredible sights, met such kind-hearted and loving people, expanded my cultural knowledge, and learned so many new business ideals, especially in the finance and international business sectors, that I look forward to carrying with me for the rest of my life.  

P.S. Be on the lookout for my next post - I'll be talking about some of my travel experiences so far in Africa!

Pauline Kim Explores Buenos Aires

After traveling around South America and living out of a suitcase for a month, I have finally arrived to Buenos Aires and settled in! As soon as you drive out of the airport, you can see how different this city is from any other city in South America. BA is a mix between New York and Italy. While there are cities like Santiago, Chile that are modernizing, there are times when you are reminded that you are still in a developing country. For instance, most of the markets are artisanal, the cleanliness of the food is questionable, there are stray dogs scattered all over the city, and the people are of low-middle class. Don't get me wrong -- Santiago is a gorgeous city. However, BA is definitely the city that I can see myself living and studying in for the next 4 months.

I have already fallen in love with this city and I have barely seen all of it yet. BA is bigger than I expected. I am living in Barrio Retiro (Retiro neighborhood). My host mom is absolutely amazing. Her one rule of the house is to make these next 4 months the best in my life. She is constantly worrying about the comfort of my roommate (and best friend!) Alixe and me in her home, even when we assure her that everything is perfect. Barrio Retiro is a more quiet neighborhood than some of the others. On my street, there are lots of art galleries and cafes. Most of the people that live on my street are older and live alone like my host mother. If you walk a couple blocks west, you run into Barrio Recoleta. There you find Calle Santa Fe and Avenida Libertad, streets where lots of people go to shop. A couple blocks in the opposite direction, you run into Rio de La Plata, the body of water you cross to get to Uruguay; and Puerto Madero, the port you leave out of to get to Uruguay. There are many other neighborhoods as well. Others that are quite well-known are Palermo, San Telmo, and Belgrano. Palermo is where the best bars and "boliches" (nightclubs) are. I have not explored much of these neighborhoods yet but am planning to do so soon. To get to them, you need use a bus. The Sube card is the equivalent of a Smartcard in DC. You fill them up and use them to ride the bus for around US $0.30 per ride! 

Speaking of how cheap those rides are, the food is also priced pretty well for the quality of it. The only things that are priced high here are apparel and footwear. Not good for my shopping addiction. Anyway, I'm sure most of you have heard that Argentine beef is unreal. Well, so is the other food around here and you can get it for the price of a sandwich at Fobogro! Because of the European influence (mostly Italian) on the city, BA has great Italian food. The pastas are a must have at the local cafes and restaurants. Another interesting thing about eating out here is that eating out is almost always for a social purpose. You will see that the waitress/waiter will not give you your check unless you ask for it. You can sit for hours after you are finished with your meal and still won't receive your check unless you ask. It is normal for groups of people to sit at a restaurant or cafes for hours at a time to socialize with friends and family. 

Another thing that has been influenced by the Italians here are the accents and the way people speak. You will see that the accents are much different from the typical Spanish accent that we learn in school. The double L "ll" and "y" sounds here sound like "ja/o" rather than the typical "ya/o" sound we learn. So instead of pronouncing "Como se llama"  as "Como se YAMA," it would be "Como se JAMA" with a hard J. It can be hard to understand at first, but you get the hang of it. It's actually a really cool accent and I hope to pick it up in the next couple of weeks. I'll let you know how it goes!

Ciao for now!

 

~Pauline

IBUS in Argentina Video Testimonials

Nicholas Parks shares his thoughts about the IBUS in Argentina Program

Alexandra Smolen shares her thoughts about the IBUS in Argentina Program

IBUS in Argentina Information Session PowerPoint

GW Paris Information Session PowerPoint

Sarah Ihnat Reflects on Her Time in Brussels, Belgium

With my time abroad quickly coming to a close, I’ve been busy trying to fit in as many things as possible before I go home.  I’ve been traveling to other countries on the weekends, exploring as much of Belgium as possible, and with the end of the semester creeping up, writing papers, doing projects, and studying for exams.

                                       

Most weekends this semester I’ve spent visiting other countries in Europe.  Recently though, I’ve been trying to see more of the country that I’ve spent the last three months in.  Belgium is divided into three different regions: Flanders in the north, Wallonia in the south, and Brussels in the center.  There is a large separation between Flanders and Wallonia as Flanders is Dutch speaking and Wallonia is French speaking.  Aside from the language difference, the economic climates between these two regions vary as well, with Flanders flourishing and Wallonia struggling.

After visiting cities in both of these regions, you can see how prevalent the differences are.  Antwerp and Ghent are two cities in Flanders that illustrate the economic stability of Flanders.  I’ve visited both of these cities, and they look like they could be part of the U.S.  They have public transportation, chain stores, museums, and modern buildings.

The cities in Wallonia, however, look like they are from a completely different world.  Unlike the Flemish cities, they are quaint and antique.  Wallonia looks exactly like what you would expect European countryside to be.  Both of the regions are incredibly different, but I love being able to experience them both and see more of Belgium than just Brussels.

As my time in Brussels is dwindling though, I’m trying to spend more of my time here before I leave.  There are still sights I have to see and a huge Christmas Market I have to take on.  I can’t wait to make the best of these last few weeks of study abroad and attempt to pack in as much humanly possible.  It has easily been the best experience I have ever had and hope that other students will take advantage of this opportunity.  Although leaving Brussels and the people who made my study abroad experience unforgettable will be difficult, I am excited to return to GW and start a new semester.

Au revoir/tot ziens!

Sarah

From Capital to Capital: Life in London

Hey GWSB!

This is Dave Gelsomino, currently studying at King’s College London (KCL) through GW England in Central London. It’s been about a month and a half since I arrived here, and I’m pretty much already at the halfway point. Time flies when you’re abroad! The week of Halloween is the last week of classes before a mid-term Reading Week. I’m sure you know what to expect; a week of traveling from one European city to another, from hostel to hostel. But KCL isn’t kidding when they call it a Reading Week; it’s definitely not a Fall Break. Classes here are extremely heavy on reading, and almost all of them culminate in one large assignment that makes up between 70-100% of your final grade for the course. It’s easy to fall behind on the readings, so I’ll be spending most of next week catching up and beginning to work on my end of term assignments. Don’t worry though, I’ll be sure to find some time to take advantage of the break from class to do some more exploring of London.

Even if you spent all four years of college in London, you could never fully explore it. The size and scope of London is mindboggling. You can walk for hours and still be in Central London, with major tourist attractions like the British Museum, Westminster Abbey, the National Portrait Gallery and Shakespeare’s Globe Theater all located within the heart of the city. Luckily for me, as a member of a signature GW program (GW England), I have gotten to experience some of the city’s pricier attractions for free, including the London Eye, a show at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and a walking tour of the City of Westminster. The Underground (or Tube) makes getting around London a breeze, but definitely has a bit of a learning curve as it’s about three times the size of DC’s Metro.

By far one of my favorite aspects of studying abroad is meeting people from around the world. I am in a full immersion program, which means I live with international students, take classes as if I were a full time student at KCL and am essentially a one-term transfer to the University. KCL has an enormous international population (55%!), and I have so far met students from the UK, France, China, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Bulgaria, India, Germany and Austria just to name a few. In both of my group project teams (you can’t even escape them abroad!), each student is from a different country. It really provides amazing insight into your work that you would never have otherwise. Hopefully GW will continue to increase its proportion of international students as this has been one of the best parts of my experience in London! The only word I can use to describe Londoners themselves is quirky. They are an eclectic group of people in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. Everyday I walk by ethnic restaurants from every corner of the globe and hear dozens of different languages being spoken on the street. 

London is also a great place to be if you want to travel during your study abroad experience. I decided that I would rather get to know my host city and country better rather than traveling every weekend so I have planned a relatively small number of trips, including Paris, Amsterdam and Geneva. But if you want to spend every weekend exploring a different part of Europe, London is probably the ideal place to be as a central hub for low-cost airlines like EasyJet and RyanAir.

No matter where you choose to go abroad, it will be an amazing learning experience that I would encourage everyone to do! See you across the pond!

Cheers,

Dave Gelsomino