Keys to Success

So I'm out of the craziness of the big city of London and back sitting on my moms coach in Connecticut. After having a few weeks to sit down, relax, and binge eat as many cheeseburgers and buffalo wings as I can, I have had some time to reflect on my 3 1/2 months in London. In the end, I have come up with a few keys to success for anyone interested in studying in London.

Be Ready To Write

I heard the rumors from my friends who have studied in Europe that universities overseas expect students to write a lot more. However, I did not expect exactly how much writing I was going to end up having to do. The grades for my classes were based almost entirely on one or two papers and the final. These papers are not the two or three page papers we commonly write in the USA, but generally the shorter ones would be around 7 or 8 pages, with my longest term paper being around 20. Almost all of these papers will be due at the end of November, so if one procrastinates, they can easily end up with 30 or 40 pages to write in a 2 week period. Writing a few term papers wasn't fun, but I was pretty prepared to do so. What did catch me by surprise was finals week. Again, I was told that none of the questions would be multiple choice or matching, but I did not really expect how much writing I would have to do. I had five finals and they were all pretty similar. Generally, I was given 2 hours to answer 2-4 essays questions and expected to write as much as possible. I typically wrote about 5 pages for each final, so I ended up handwriting 25 pages or so just for finals during my last week in London. I wouldn't say that the finals were too much harder than at HPU, just a much different format which requires one to really know the material. One can guess on a multiple choice test and have a 25% chance of being right. One can't really guess on a 5 page paper. 

Know How to Budget Your Money

A lot of college students aren't great at budgeting money. However, it is absolutely essential one learns how to budget their money quickly in London. Reason being, things cost about the same in British Pounds in London as they do in US Dollars in Hawaii. The only thing is 1 Pound is 1.6 Dollars. So what you're used to getting for $5 in a McDonalds in Hawaii, will now cost you $8. You want to buy a pair of shoes that normally cost $50, you have to pay $80. Instead of getting tickets to a soccer game for $100, now its $160. It adds up FAST. Then, one also has to consider that London is a huge city, and getting around costs way more than in Hawaii. Just taking the tube (subway) out and back can cost the equivalent of 12 US Dollars. And if you like to go to the clubs, just the cover at most places in central London is 20 pounds, or $32 dollars. There were classmates of mine that did not do a good job of budgeting and spent a huge portion of their money for the semester just in the first couple of weeks. Having fun in London is easy to do on a limited budget. It is just more important here than in many other places to keep track of exactly how much your spending, because, especially during a night out, it can get away from you quickly. 

Be Outgoing

This is something that I found extremely important especially if one is studying with AIFS. AIFS does a great job of getting everyone housing and a meal plan, and making sure they are signed up for classes. The one frustrating thing about studying in London through AIFS, is they tend to house all of the study abroad students together, and the vast majority of the study abroad students are from the USA. For instance, my dorm probably had a little over 100 students in it, and I'd bet over 90 were from the United States. This meant that a great deal of the students in my dorm ended up spending their entire time in London just hanging out with other people from the USA. They all had a great time, but I did not come to London to hang out with people from the USA all day. This meant I had to make a conscious effort to go out and talk to new people. It was all completely worth it as I made new friends from Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Zambia, Nigeria, Germany, the Netherlands, El Salvador etc... In fact, two of my best friends that I hung out with the most in London were from Essex, England and Berlin, Germany. It was a great oppurtunity to meet people from all over the world, however, one really needs to make a conscious efffort to meet new people. That's not to say I ignored everyone from the USA, as I did become very good friends with people from all over the United States while in London, but for me, there had to be a balance. In the end, one can certainly have a great time just hanging out with other people from the USA while studying with AIFS, but the extra effort to meet new people from other countries is certainly worth it. 

London is an amazing city. One can have a ton of fun roaming around London all semester, or one use London as a base point, and take advantage of cheap flights to explore Europe. Studying abroad in London is an incredible opportunity, but I would just keep in mind three things to make the most of your experience: Be ready to write, budget your money and make an effort to meet people from other countries. 

Here are a few more pictures from my last couple of weeks in London. Check them out.

Cambridge University

Another of Cambridge, rivers and bridges everywhere.

Fullers Brewery, definitely recommend the tour to a beer fan.

Fall in Kensington Gardens.

Kings Mediterranean off of Earls Court. The best place for a kebab in the city.

This is a park in Richmond, just up the hill from the Richmond Campus.

Alright, that's it for now. Check back in about a month when I start blogging about my next study abroad city:  Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Shoots

Coffee in Korea

For those of you who were --like me-- not expecting to find a great coffee culture in Korea, here is proof that this is not true: Korea is a great place for plenty of tiny and cute, large and professional, colorful and simple coffee shops. Since I am a chronic coffee-addict I have sought out the nicest coffee places around the SKKU campus by Hyehwa Metro station. Here are some impressions:

Coffee Shop °1: The best coffee you can probably get around campus:

Directions: 

Across from the Main Gate you can find a small Lotte Market. Not far down the street you have to take a left into a small side road. You will see a sign for "Inside Hostel." The coffee shop is right next door.

My favorite is always the Café Latte. They have a lot of different kinds of coffee beans from various regions, which they roast themselves. But also their other drinks and food are really good!

Try the Matcha Green Tea Latte! 

Also you will find some Western food, sandwiches, salads, french toast etc. 

Pros: 

• The coffee is simply the best
• They have an English menu and the staff also speaks a little bit of English
• The athmosphere in this place is great! Often they play jazz music and I like their simple décor.

Cons:

• This Café is probably the most expensive one I've been to around Hyehwa. The Latte costs about 5,500 KRW and the salads and sandwiches are about 10,000 KRW.
• The Café doesn't allow you to share the Brunch (for ex. French Toast).

Coffee Shop °2: Maybe not the best, but certainly the best for the price:

Directions: 

This Café is right by the side gate in the street that goes to I-House. You won't miss it, it has a name written in Russian (unfortunately I still couldn't find out why).

I love the Café Latte. The cute Korean guy always fills up the huge cup, so you get a lot for the price. Also the Americano is great!

Pros:

• Cheaper than most other places
• Better Coffee than in the Cafés on Campus (and a bigger cup!)
• Really nice owner who doesn't speak much English, but who still attempts a little small talk. Super friendly!

Cons:

• I always get the coffee to go because the interior of the Café isn't very inviting. Its dark inside and the chairs look uncomfortable.

Coffee Shop °3: Sunny days need to be spent outside!

Directions: 

You won't miss this place if you walk from the side gate (or I-House) down towards Hyewha station--but don't take the bigger street, instead walk the faster side street. It's also the side street where you will find the Mexican place (Dos Tacos) which you will probably check out within your first week (its so popular among exchange students.)

Pros:

• I like this place to study when the weather is nice and I don't want to stay indoors. They have a little terrace. It's the only place that seems really nice to sit outside and enjoy the sun.
• The coffee (Latte, Vanilla Latte etc.) is really good!

Cons:

• The drinks are a little more pricy.
• The staff isn't all too friendly.
• You always have to ask them for a real cup, if not they'll give you one of these cups to go out of paper (hate that!). 

Coffee Shop °4: Coffee has to go with…. SWEETS! 

Directions:

 This place is in the same side street as the previous one, but if you walk the street down (towards Hyewha, away from campus) you need to take one of the side streets on your right. I can't say exactly which one, but you should see a sign that says: "Everyday Cupcake." Actually these side streets are full of little Cafés, so just keep your eyes open. If you don't find this one, i'm sure you will still find at least 2 other ones.

                                      

Pros:

• This place has a huge selection of cupcakes, but also other amazing deserts and slushes. Just delicious!

Cons:

• I was a little disappointed by the cupcakes themselves, try their other desserts instead, in my opinion they are better.
• Some of their drinks are simply TOO sweet!

Strange Korea

Strange Korea

all over campus you'll find these in the bathrooms...

this thing is supposed to make a flushing sound when you push the button. ???

 Another curious thing about the bathrooms are the soaps…

 awesome idea! Even though Korea is supposed to be one of the safest countries in the world, this is a nice way to care for students safety. This might actually be a good idea for HPU as well. How about a safe walk to the bus stop?

when it comes to food there are all kinds of strange things!

Sweater Weather

           So, it’s been a while since I’ve posted here and the reason is because I have been sick! Yay! It’s been a pain the past couple months because I got sick for a couple weeks, got better, then got sick again. Generally I would say that my immune system sucks, but this is the first time this kind of thing has happened to me.

           Back at home, and in Hawaii, I usually get sick for a couple weeks and then that’s it for a few months. Here, it is completely different. The problem? It definitely has to be the weather. In the middle of October the weather started to get a bit cold, but still a bit manageable so it was possible to still go with my normal attire: shorts, tank top, and slippers. From then on it just started to get colder and colder because winter is approaching. This obviously gave my body a huge shock because I’m used to hot and humid weather.

      

      Along with that, I was aware that there was a flu going around amongst the International students. Not wanting to be antisocial, I decided to ignore my weak immune system and continue hanging out with the sick foreigners. My initial thought was that I’d be fine and could power through it as long as I took as much vitamin C as I could and tried to sleep early. As expected, I ended up getting sick. What really kills me though is that I managed to get sick again. The funny part though is that everyone is getting sick again. So, I guess it’s not that bad. Still, I’m pulling through and trying to enjoy my days here in Japan.

            Now, I am dealing with a runny nose and it is seriously irritating. I cannot go a day without grabbing a tissue and blowing my nose every 5 minutes. I hope it doesn’t get worse, but with the current weather in Osaka, who knows what’ll happen. 

The Beginning of The End

After three months of sheer independence, I am hitting the time border. In less than twenty days I will be heading back for Honolulu. For many, this may sound like a dream. It sure isn't my dream, though. After traveling a great chunk of the world in less than four months, it's difficult to accept the idea that I'll be stuck on an island all over again for who knows how many years. Sure, the island is beautiful and so closely resembles the ideal-life us humans like to name "paradise", but for me, it's just the feeling of a jail-cell coated in breezy palm trees and beach waves.
Bottom line- I'm not looking forward to going back.
I've had the time of my life studying in Madrid and traveling Europe (including a trip to Africa)! In the month of November I spent more time out of Madrid than I did in. I turned 20 in the precise center-point of Spain. I walked castles. I've been on rooftops over looking Portugal. I road a bike all over Amsterdam. I've seen Van Gogh, Dali, Picasso, Miro, Pollock, Tanguy, Klein originals in multiple cities. I've walked  the streets of Africa, bargained with their people, been in the homes of their dead Kings and Queens. I've seen the graves and ashes of people such as Bram Stoker, Geoffrey Chaucer, J.R.R Tolkien, Rudyard Kipling, Sigmund Freud, and so many more. I've met fascinating strangers who have tangibly tested the fabric of life by jumping off a five story building. (Many might find this incredibly idiotic, but I didn't, to say the least.)
Bottom line- I'm not looking forward to returning to an island that takes hundreds and even thousands of dollars to leave.
I will return, though. I have to. There is no point in mourning over the final days of a well-spent semester.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that many people have the problem with missing home too much. They yearn for their beds, their comforting routines and boyfriends or girlfriends. I just don't feel any of that. I miss my parents, puppy, and most of all my little sisters, but that's where I draw the line. I haven't felt homesick once (unless we would like to change the definition of "homesick" to being "sick of home").
So if you're planning to study abroad and are afraid of missing home too much, just know that that fear can possibly turn inside-out.

Here are some photos of a few places I've been to so far...

- Bianca Marina Flores

 Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Lisbon, Portugal

Marrakesh, Morocco

Munich, Germany

Salamanca, Spain

Vienna, Austria

ps: proof that I've been having too much fun is that I haven't written one of these blog entries on months.

Parks

London is very famous for its parks. Two of the most famous are Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, which conveniently enough are only a couple blocks away from my dorm.

These parks are always filled with tourists as they are great places to sightsee. Both parks boast impressive landmarks as Kensington Gardens is home to Kensington Palace and The Albert Memorial, while Hyde Park's claim to fame is its biggest lake, the Serpentine. 

However, native Londeners also spend a great deal of time in the park. People love to come here to exercise as one can rent a bike and go for a ride, play soccer or rugby on the available fields, or run the 2 mile loop around The Serpentine. The parks also serve as a social destination as there are always people hanging out on benches or just reclining in the grass. Hyde Park also routinely hosts concerts and other big events.

Living in a huge metropolitan area can get old at times, so having the parks here is essential for allowing one to go outside and get some fresh air.

Entering into Kensington Gardens.

Plenty of open space to kick the ball around.

 Kensington Palace

The Italian Gardens -Part of Hyde Park

The Arch in Hyde Park with Kensington Palace in the distance.

The Albert Memorial

The Serpentine

Are You Craving A Shawarma?

Hey guys! So if you haven't guessed it already this blog post is going to be about the scrumptious foods I have tried so far in Israel. Let me first start by explaining to you some differences between the US and Israel when it comes to meal time.  Beginning with breakfast...you would think of some pancakes, waffles, eggs, maybe some toast and cheese or yogurt with granola. Well, scratch that image and think salad. That's right. I said salad. About a week ago I met up with some of my Israeli family here in Haifa. When they asked me what I usually eat for breakfast and I replied yogurt and half of a grapefruit, they were shocked! They said, "What, no vegetables or cheese?" Here in Israel it is pretty typical to have an assortment of vegetables with your breakfast. These veggies usually go along with cheeses and eggs, and some really awesome pastries. I'm pretty sure I haven't had such a delicious chocolate croissant until eating in Israel. Also, a really popular dish that is eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner is called shakshuka. It's basically tomato sauce, with onions and tomatoes chopped up and mixed in with two sunny side up eggs placed right on top. You dip bread into eat and eat it all together. Sounds a little strange but it is so yummy!
Now, when it comes to lunch and dinner...the first thing I must tell you about is a shawarma. Yes, this is the dish that is talked about in the movie "The Avengers." My family friend put it into perspective for me, he said that if an Israeli has his last 10 shekels in his pocket, he'll use it to buy a shawarma. Now let me tell you, he was right! A shawarma is a pita bread filled with a combination of salads, hummus, tahini  sauce, sometimes fries, and a type of meat or curried chicken which is cut up off of a huge roast. A falafel sandwich consists of the same things except instead of the meat, the pita is stuffed with deep-fried chickpea balls. It's also delicious. The last thing I want to tell you all about which is everywhere, and with practically every dish here, is hummus. For those that don't know hummus is a thick paste or spread made of ground chickpeas and sesame seeds, olive oil, lemon, and garlic. Growing up my family always had some on our Shabbat table to eat with bread. But here it is actually with almost everything! During the CIEE orientation we went to the ancient city of Akko for the day, and had lunch at a famous hummus place. Everyone had the choice to add extra things into the hummus, like ground meat, eggplant, or mushrooms. I got mine with mushrooms and I'm pretty sure it was the best hummus I've ever had! On that note, all this talk about food is making me hungry, so dinner time it is! Until next time...shalom everyone!