International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Today, November 25, is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, an international recognition of the violence against women that is not confined to a specific region, country, religion, culture, or societal standing.
Adios, USC Madrid
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
If you kept up with my previous posts this summer, then feel free to skip this paragraph guilt-free, but if not, allow me to fill you in. From the end of May to mid-July, I participated in a study abroad program through Dornsife in which we took two Spanish courses and learned a whole lot outside the classroom, too.
Vamos a La Playa!
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
My first excursion outside of Madrid was to Barcelona because I have the good fortune of having family there at the moment and I needed a familiar face so badly I would have settled for a photo of a familiar face. Or maybe a 3D printed copy now that 3D Printers are a thing. But I didn’t have to settle, because I had the real thing- my cousin Bob is living and working in Barcelona with 14 other entrepreneurs and he graciously hosted my friend, Lauren, who is studying in Granada, and myself. Blood is thicker than water, as they say, and speaking of this, the water in Barcelona is mierda so you gotta buy it bottled everywhere you go.
A Delegate of Sorts
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Last weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of representing the good old US of A, along with my roommate, as a delegate of sorts, if you will, at a 150-person, super exclusive fiesta about 40 minutes from Madrid hosted by an affluent friend of my host brother. Mind you, I didn’t ever participate in Model UN or even take the course when it was available to me sophomore year of high school (I took Comparative Religions instead because I wanted to open my mind and also because there were so many field trips), but I think after hearing how well I mingled, you may be willing to overlook my lack of qualifications.
Vamos a La Comisaria
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
You may be thinking to yourself, “Grace, what? How did you get carded in Madrid? Isn’t the drinking age there 18? Aren’t you several years older? I’ve always thought you have such a maturity about you well beyond your years!”
London Calling
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Time to break out my ‘Ello Govnah playlist, which I’ve been constructing for upwards of 13 months now, because I’m about to leave for the airport to Londrés, which translates very nicely to London.
Anything Could Happen
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
I am going to hold myself accountable and post at least a few times a week because in the paraphrased words of the wonderful Ron Swanson, “Never half-ass anything. Except for swimsuits because that’s trendy now.” Which reminds me, I went to Barcelona a few weekends ago and have a lot to say about that, so stay tuned.
Started From The Bottom
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
When I first arrived in Madrid, I was jet-lagged, stressed, and barely able to put together an English sentence let alone one in Spanish. As she showed me around, my wonderful host mom told me to close the hallway door always “porque de las ratas” or because of the rats. This didn’t bother me one bit because she seemed very chill about it and I’m trying to be low-maintenance and honestly I’m not afraid of rats nearly as much as I’m afraid of actual scary things like sharks or my future kids growing up to be bullies.
Pocket Full of Karma
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
My first day in Madrid when I went for a run, I realized as I struggled to find my way home that someone had somehow pickpocket my running arm band of my ca$h (luckily just 10 euros at the time). Like any furious parent, I wasn’t mad, I was just disappointed.
Home is Wherever There is Food
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
People always say that the best way to really immerse yourself in a new country is to live with a homestay family, especially when you’re trying to learn a new language. And I’m going to have to agree with the masses on this one, though at first I had my doubts.
A Nod To Modern Technology
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
I would just like to take the time to thank all the great inventors and big dreamers out there who made the world what it is today. Without you folks, I would have no choice but to continuously be at a loss for words with my host family’s hairless cats as my only companions.
Mingling in Madrid
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
A few days ago at the Instituto Internacional in Madrid, I went to an intercambio/language exchange and I feel pretty good about it because now tengo una cita (I have a date/meeting) with an older man named Ignacio!
Not All Who Wander Are Lost
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
This summer I am studying in the beautiful city of Madrid. This is my first time traveling without my family and my first time outside of North America so everything is new to me and so far has not been the smoothest of adjustments. I may not be the most fluent of speakers or the most apt of travelers, but I sure do have a gift for finding myself in interesting situations. While these incidents may not be funny to me for a few more years, I trust they will be entertaining for third party viewers and offer a good insight into the summer study abroad experience.
Summer Study Abroad Checklist
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
As I sit amongst my possessions in the beautifully chaotic metamorphosis from unpacking to repacking, I feel mildly overwhelmed by just how much I still have to do before I leave for Madrid on Saturday. I take comfort, however, in knowing that I have already survived finals so I’m probably immune to stress at this point and that I have compiled a very thorough To Do list with the help of those who studied abroad before me and the Internet community as a whole.
A Life-Changing Winter Break in India
By: Linda Chow ‘15
Traveling and teaching in the slums of India is definitely a memorable way to spend your winter break. The Alternative Winter Break India program enables students to travel to a foreign country and volunteer, while immersing themselves in an unfamiliar culture. When people think of India, the first things that come to mind are probably Bollywood movies and dancing, saris, Indian food, and elephants. However, if there is anything I learned from my experience abroad, there is so much more to India than meets the eye.
Teaching in Thailand for the Holidays
By: David Mandell ’15
Traveling to Thailand over winter break with a group of USC students is definitely unique winter break experience. Alternative Winter Break Thailand offers the opportunity for a small group to travel to a foreign country and teach English to children.