As those who know me are aware, I am quite the music snob. I think that Bob Dylan should be revered, along with Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire and the Avett Brothers (did anyone watch the Grammy's? INCREDIBLE!). I prefer live music and the lyrics have to be good. With this being said, going to college oh so close to Burlington, Vermont has been a great life choice. Plattsburgh, New York doesn't get so many concerts and I live an hour away, making Burlington my concert mecca. Here I have seen the aforementioned Bob Dylan, the Swell Season, and Matt Costa. They were all great shows.
I am also fortunate because St. Michael's puts on a lovely concert for us hardworking students every spring. In the fall everyone votes for an artist and our Student Association is in charge of finalizing plans. I am so happy to say that this year Grace Potter & the Nocturnals are coming. I don't know how many of you are familiar with their music but they are wonderful. Watch this:
Great, right? Grace is a Vermont native so there is much excitement about her coming. So, to sum up, if you are looking for good music, Burlington is the place to come!! Stay warm!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Such is the way of the world
Hello, I hope that the second month of the new year is off to a good start. It has been two and a half months since I have been in my favorite place, the Amazon jungle. So, because I have been missing the vibrant green and unbearable humidity I looked for solace in ABC's new show, Off the Map. It is about three American doctors who go to the Amazon to practice medicine. As an avid and semi-fanatic watcher of Grey's Anatomy, I had high expectations for this show by the same creator. This was the first mistake.
The series starts with a cab labeled "jungle taxi," pulling into the clinic. One, there aren't any taxis in the jungle. Two, if there were the side door would not have English writing on it. But this is only the first annoyance. The three new doctors who knew they were going to Latin America don't speak Spanish but believe that they will save everybody. The doctors use coconuts for IVs. Now, I don't know if this is possible but I can just imagine what Americans will now think about medicine in South America. And most annoying of all the female characters were very short shorts and tank tops. They would all have malaria and sunburns in an instant.
It's a weird feeling to see and hear incorrect things about a place you have lived in. When I was in the jungle, two times and in three different places, my experience was very different. Indigenous people weren't injured from hangliding or falling into a river only to be hit by a falling boulder. I know that television shows are never very realistic but this is just perpetuating stereotypes that people have about natives.
So to conclude, don't believe everything you see on television, especially when it is a medical drama based in the Amazon jungle. Oh and by the way, the show is filmed in Hawaii. It makes a lot of sense to me too.
The series starts with a cab labeled "jungle taxi," pulling into the clinic. One, there aren't any taxis in the jungle. Two, if there were the side door would not have English writing on it. But this is only the first annoyance. The three new doctors who knew they were going to Latin America don't speak Spanish but believe that they will save everybody. The doctors use coconuts for IVs. Now, I don't know if this is possible but I can just imagine what Americans will now think about medicine in South America. And most annoying of all the female characters were very short shorts and tank tops. They would all have malaria and sunburns in an instant.
It's a weird feeling to see and hear incorrect things about a place you have lived in. When I was in the jungle, two times and in three different places, my experience was very different. Indigenous people weren't injured from hangliding or falling into a river only to be hit by a falling boulder. I know that television shows are never very realistic but this is just perpetuating stereotypes that people have about natives.
So to conclude, don't believe everything you see on television, especially when it is a medical drama based in the Amazon jungle. Oh and by the way, the show is filmed in Hawaii. It makes a lot of sense to me too.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Who'll stop the rain
Greetings!! I have been back at St. Michael's for two weeks now and I am starting my third week of classes today. I think that I am finally back in the general swing of things, and I wanted to tell you all about the Student Global AIDS Campaign conference that I went to this past weekend. The Student Global AIDS Campaign (or SGAC) is dedicated to fighting and preventing global HIV/AIDS. Held at Harvard, more than eighty students attended the two day conference, ten from St. Michael's. Cambridge is a beautiful area and I was more than happy to make the trip. We took down one van and my professor and fellow SMC Blogger, Trish Siplon, drove.
At the conference we learned ways to build power, about strategizing and how to recruit more SGAC members. It was so exciting to be around so many students from big name universities who care about the same issues as us. What was even more great is that even amongst schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Darmouth, St. Michael's is looked at as one of the most active and successful SGAC chapters in the United States. I feel honored to be a part of this group and so proud of all of the hardworking students that earned St. Michael's that title.
I learned more about global AIDS and the specific numbers that activists are looking for in President Obama's budget, which comes out next week. Global AIDS funding is going to be cut and the many people worldwide who depend on this money are going to suffer. There are many players in this battle and the stakes are extremely high. If you want to learn more about HIV/Aids this website is an excellent resource: http://takeanumber.org/ . Thanks for listening, I hope that everyone can find a cause that they are passionate about and others who agree!
At the conference we learned ways to build power, about strategizing and how to recruit more SGAC members. It was so exciting to be around so many students from big name universities who care about the same issues as us. What was even more great is that even amongst schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Darmouth, St. Michael's is looked at as one of the most active and successful SGAC chapters in the United States. I feel honored to be a part of this group and so proud of all of the hardworking students that earned St. Michael's that title.
I learned more about global AIDS and the specific numbers that activists are looking for in President Obama's budget, which comes out next week. Global AIDS funding is going to be cut and the many people worldwide who depend on this money are going to suffer. There are many players in this battle and the stakes are extremely high. If you want to learn more about HIV/Aids this website is an excellent resource: http://takeanumber.org/ . Thanks for listening, I hope that everyone can find a cause that they are passionate about and others who agree!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Long as I can see the light.
Hello and happy 2011!! I have been dreading writing this post, which is probably obvious because it has been almost a month since I have last written from the Miami airport. In these three weeks I have gone to the great NYC to see Jersey Boys with my friend, Eileen. Christmas has come and gone and I have even managed to catch up with friends from home and my best friends from St. Michael's.
It's strange that study abroad has been over for more than three weeks and I miss it. I miss the mountains in Cusco and the rainforest filled with delicious mangoes. I accidentally speak Spanish to people more times than I would like to admit. Hot showers are almost too good to be true and the strongest feelings of culture shock came to me in Hallmark. A whole store devoted to cards just seems silly to me now. I miss the people that I lived with for almost four months and it's weird that I can't see them everyday. It feels like summer vacations without the reassurance that this experience will be recreated in four months. So, I guess it's harder than I am used to.
In order to deal with these things I have been making a lot of lists of things that I want to do in 2011. I am pretty happy with 2010, the whole live-in-Peru-thing for four months made it pretty unique. Since it would be quite difficult to study abroad again some things that I have been planning to include hiking more, learning to knit, running a half marathon, and perhaps visiting my friend who is studying in Spain. Who knows? It's a new year, anything is possible.
It's strange that study abroad has been over for more than three weeks and I miss it. I miss the mountains in Cusco and the rainforest filled with delicious mangoes. I accidentally speak Spanish to people more times than I would like to admit. Hot showers are almost too good to be true and the strongest feelings of culture shock came to me in Hallmark. A whole store devoted to cards just seems silly to me now. I miss the people that I lived with for almost four months and it's weird that I can't see them everyday. It feels like summer vacations without the reassurance that this experience will be recreated in four months. So, I guess it's harder than I am used to.
In order to deal with these things I have been making a lot of lists of things that I want to do in 2011. I am pretty happy with 2010, the whole live-in-Peru-thing for four months made it pretty unique. Since it would be quite difficult to study abroad again some things that I have been planning to include hiking more, learning to knit, running a half marathon, and perhaps visiting my friend who is studying in Spain. Who knows? It's a new year, anything is possible.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Let me go home
I'm sitting in the Miami airport eating peanut M&Ms, reading Vanity Fair magazine, and experiencing strong feelings of disbelief. What has happened? It's more than obvious that I am not in Cusco anymore and in five short (but they seem very long) hours I will be reunited with my family.
My last days of study abroad have been a complete whirlwind of packing, presenting my research, and hitting all my favorite spots in my favorite Peruvian city. Yesterday my friends brought me to the airport and it became clear that these people are not just any normal friends. We have been there for each other in sickness and in health (literally, we were hospitalized together), and saying goodbye to these people was incredibly hard.
One of the strangest feelings I have had was leaving Cusco. It was my home for three and a half months. For us college students, it felt like going home after finals, but without knowing that I will ever be back. Hopefully one day.
I don't think I have any life changing wisdom about study abroad yet, but I cannot fully comprehend that it is over. I'm going to be honest, when I was in freezing Colca canyon in my sod house there were times when I wanted to go home so badly. When I was sick in the jungle some of the days seemed to crawl by. But it's over. The only thing that isn't over right now is my EIGHT hour layover. In the spirit of re-integration into the United States I think I am going to go to Starbucks now. Peace!
My last days of study abroad have been a complete whirlwind of packing, presenting my research, and hitting all my favorite spots in my favorite Peruvian city. Yesterday my friends brought me to the airport and it became clear that these people are not just any normal friends. We have been there for each other in sickness and in health (literally, we were hospitalized together), and saying goodbye to these people was incredibly hard.
One of the strangest feelings I have had was leaving Cusco. It was my home for three and a half months. For us college students, it felt like going home after finals, but without knowing that I will ever be back. Hopefully one day.
I don't think I have any life changing wisdom about study abroad yet, but I cannot fully comprehend that it is over. I'm going to be honest, when I was in freezing Colca canyon in my sod house there were times when I wanted to go home so badly. When I was sick in the jungle some of the days seemed to crawl by. But it's over. The only thing that isn't over right now is my EIGHT hour layover. In the spirit of re-integration into the United States I think I am going to go to Starbucks now. Peace!
Friday, December 3, 2010
It's a wild world
I go home in one week. That simple truth is presiding over every decision I have made in the last few days. My life in Cusco is wrapping up and things are just a little bit crazy. For starters, I have that lovely 40 page paper looming over my head, making fun final trips around the area almost impossible. I have been buying presents for people back home which is a lot of fun and really stressful at the same time. And the beast of them all-packing. I decided that I am going to donate a lot of my clothing to make room for all of the aforementioned gifts in my suitcase.
Today I picked up my suitcase from my host mom's house because I left most of my things there while I was in the jungle. I went through my things and I couldn't believe how many unnecessary things I had. First of all, I only ever wore three pair of pants here, which doesn't excuse the SIX that I brought. Shorts? What was I thinking. Wearing shorts in Peru says "Hello, I am a tourist with absolutely no cultural understanding or knowledge of climate." Sure it's hot around noon, but it will rain at 3 o'clock and drop to forty degrees around 6.
Things I have accumulated while in Peru:
1. Knee high black rain-boots. While they are trendy at SMC, these boots were not for fashion but for practicality. There are some pretty deep puddles in the rainforest.
2. A knit mask/hat combination for traditional dancing that SIT made us do in Lima. Seriously, I will never wear it again, does anyone want it? Here it is:
3. Notebooks and binders, what are those? Sometimes I really do forget that this is a school affiliated thing and not just a three and a half month long adventure.
I guess what I am trying to get across is that I am in a complete state of shock that this time next week I will be heading home to New York. I am going to be honest, there are times when I would like nothing more than to be home where things are comfortable and easy. Where I can speak English freely, eat things I am used to, and not worry about standing out. But things aren't supposed to be easy all of the time, that would be so boring. A lot of the time I think about how much more accomplished I feel after doing something I never thought I could do. My friends and I were talking to another tourist in our hostel and he told us that we are living the dream. I guess that is true.
Today I picked up my suitcase from my host mom's house because I left most of my things there while I was in the jungle. I went through my things and I couldn't believe how many unnecessary things I had. First of all, I only ever wore three pair of pants here, which doesn't excuse the SIX that I brought. Shorts? What was I thinking. Wearing shorts in Peru says "Hello, I am a tourist with absolutely no cultural understanding or knowledge of climate." Sure it's hot around noon, but it will rain at 3 o'clock and drop to forty degrees around 6.
Things I have accumulated while in Peru:
1. Knee high black rain-boots. While they are trendy at SMC, these boots were not for fashion but for practicality. There are some pretty deep puddles in the rainforest.
2. A knit mask/hat combination for traditional dancing that SIT made us do in Lima. Seriously, I will never wear it again, does anyone want it? Here it is:
3. Notebooks and binders, what are those? Sometimes I really do forget that this is a school affiliated thing and not just a three and a half month long adventure.
I guess what I am trying to get across is that I am in a complete state of shock that this time next week I will be heading home to New York. I am going to be honest, there are times when I would like nothing more than to be home where things are comfortable and easy. Where I can speak English freely, eat things I am used to, and not worry about standing out. But things aren't supposed to be easy all of the time, that would be so boring. A lot of the time I think about how much more accomplished I feel after doing something I never thought I could do. My friends and I were talking to another tourist in our hostel and he told us that we are living the dream. I guess that is true.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Living in twilight
This week I joined my three friends, Beth, Rachel and Priscilla in a lovely Cusquenian hostel. It was so great to see them after THREE whole weeks of solitude. I know we are all so happy to be together, but it is likely that everyone else in the hostel resents us for our loud laughter, music (for dancing), and conversations. After three months of homestays, meticulously planned excursions, and nonstop Spanish it is such a difference to be able to do whatever we want. I mean we still have to write a FORTY page paper in SPANISH, but besides that we have nothing to do.
So, with that being said, we spend our mornings leisurely making breakfasts in the hostel kitchen. One day we made banana pancakes and fruit salad. Beth and I even walked to the nearest tourist breakfast restaurant to buy a jar of maple syrup. It cost 8 soles, and it was worth every centimo. It was amazing.
After the whole day working and whining we end on a very positive and carefree note. One of the many great things about Peru is their pirated DVD collection. The Twilight series is going to get us through this, and we are not even embarrassed to admit it. I hope that everyone else is making time to have some fun during these stressful few weeks. ¡Sí podemos! (Yes, we can!)
So, with that being said, we spend our mornings leisurely making breakfasts in the hostel kitchen. One day we made banana pancakes and fruit salad. Beth and I even walked to the nearest tourist breakfast restaurant to buy a jar of maple syrup. It cost 8 soles, and it was worth every centimo. It was amazing.
After the whole day working and whining we end on a very positive and carefree note. One of the many great things about Peru is their pirated DVD collection. The Twilight series is going to get us through this, and we are not even embarrassed to admit it. I hope that everyone else is making time to have some fun during these stressful few weeks. ¡Sí podemos! (Yes, we can!)
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