Away She Goes
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Tightlipped
Those who know me and read this blog have noticed that there are usually two reasons for me to go quiet: I’m incredibly stressed and busy, or I can’t possibly keep my mouth shut about a new potential opportunity. This time it may be a bit of both. I’m graduating in May, which brings with it a … Continue reading
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As soon as we neared the area of Checkpoint Charlie it was clear: every cafe, restaurant and shops claimed to be official or to have some connection to the checkpoint or the wall. T-shirts, old Soviet hats and the ever-ubiquitous Che paraphernalia lines the sidewalks. On one side of Checkpoint Charlie there are two soldiers … Continue reading
It was a Saturday night and was wandering around Berlin alone, soaked through in rain. Canvas shoes were a poor choice. The wind was inverting umbrellas, in spite of the German engineering that undoubtedly went into them. So I turned up my music, pulled my scarf over my head and wandered back toward Alexanderplats Station. … Continue reading
Over our fall break, my friend Kathy selflessly took on my duty shifts so I could go away for a few days. I spent a glorious time sneaking off to Cairo and getting reacquainted with one of my favorite cities in the world. Of course, when I say I “snuck off” I mean all my coworkers and … Continue reading
When I was in Tahrir Square and a gun went off, I remember being afraid of the cops. I instantly knew that the gun was not from a civilian, and it crossed my mind that the scariest thing in the world may just be the feeling of living in a place where you can trust … Continue reading
I knew that if there were any demonstrations while I was in Egypt, I was going. Absolutely, 100%. So when Sarah got the call to cover a march to the Maspero Building, where 27 people were killed and about 300 were injured just a week and a half ago, I was excited. We started at … Continue reading
Before we ever put on hiking boots, we had heard the worst. “If your students have asthma, or weight problems, or smoke, or aren’t fit, or complain, or have ever had injuries, they should just stay home.” Uh, what? If you even have a cold, stay home. In the pre-trip meeting, students were asked to … Continue reading
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The other day, we were casually discussing women’s rights when Chris piped in with a Marx quote: How can men and women ever be equal if men are not equal to each other?” At the time, I didn’t respond because I was so dumbfounded by the sentiment, especially coming from him. I know he loves … Continue reading
Whiny 18 year olds keep asking us, “What do you even do all day?!” (Just kidding on the whiney, they’re actually very thoughtful and a bunch of fun, and so far not getting into too much trouble.) Well, every Thursday I TA a section of the Global Experience course, taught by Staci, an Asst Site … Continue reading
I thought I would spend this past 9/11 like I spend it every year: listening to Bruce Springsteen’s album The Rising and watching The West Wing’s Isaac and Ishmael episode. I’ve written about Isaac and Ishmael before, as a jumping off point for the discussion of who exactly this other is, and whether they really … Continue reading
…is that it has drinkable water and hot showers and everything you could want to buy. There are crepes and high prices, wi-fi and western food. And still, it is not enough for some. But then, it is still Greece, the modern-day Sick Man of Europe. And as one econ professor always reminded us, Greece … Continue reading
Things have been slow on this blog because they’ve been fast in my life. However busy I always thought I was the first few days abroad, it’s nothing compared to running a study abroad program. Add to that the various other engagements back home (writing and otherwise) that have been tugging at my brain, and … Continue reading
Sometime last year, I read a few articles on HerCampus.com, a website dedicated to (and written by) college women all over the country. Started by three Harvard women, it has an especially strong presence in the Boston area and a vibrant NU chapter. Earlier this summer, in a fit of boredom, I investigated how to … Continue reading
After a long day at the beach, watching backflips and swimming to sandbars and eating little cajitas of fried chicken and potato chips for a CUC, we would climb the fourteen floors up to the penthouse. A shower and a Cuba Light*, dancing along to Otis Redding, the Hold Steady, Lady Gaga or perhaps all … Continue reading
Picture this: you’ve spent three weeks living in a beautiful foreign country but have barely seen the beaches. You only have two showers and they’re both always cold, and you’ve been eating arrozcompollo morning noon and night since you’ve been here. Your mattress is thin, the pillows are stuffed with rags and old cotton batting. … Continue reading
I awoke last week to a facebook update from Angie: Mata is underwater. Mata is incomunicado. My reply: come mierda. Eat shit. Sort of the Spanish equivalent of the f-bomb. For Mata los Indios and other bateyes, a flood, even for a short time, can be devastating. It means the truck with potable water cannot … Continue reading
Say it’s for respect, say it’s because of religion, say it’s just a rule and don’t ask questions, say it’s arbitrary and sexist. Just don’t say we need to wear high necklines and low hems so that we are not sexually harassed. Don’t do it. Don’t victim blame, don’t lie. In harassment-heavy countries like Cuba … Continue reading
People ask all the time if the poorest of the poor are happy. Actually, they don’t. ask me if the people of country x are happy, most likely without realizing where they fall on the poverty scale. I’ve been learning to distinguish between incredibly similar levels of poverty, which at first glance are indistinguishable since … Continue reading
“If you feel like it’s a duty or hard work to help the poor, don’t do it.” It was the first time I had ever heard someone say that many people who help the world’s poor do so because they find it fun, interesting and challenging. I smiled in spite of myself, and felt like … Continue reading
How can you not love a Revolution wherein a human chain forms to protect its museums and priceless antiquities? A mob that thinks to maintain its history and culture, even in their anger and confusion? How do you not love revolutionaries who form a citizen police force, because they don’t want looters or violence and … Continue reading
