Must See Art In Madrid

 Must See Art In Madrid

There's nothing I love more than strolling around an art gallery by myself with no rush. It puts me in a creative mindset where I feel endlessly inspired for my next projects. As an arts and markets major I was so excited to see the new world of paintings available to view in Spain. With Madrid as the capital I was in the perfect place to see some amazing Spanish art. Below is a list of my favorite museums and a must see list for an art lover like myself. 

1. Museo Del Prado: This one is a no-brainer and I visited about 10 times throughout my semester abroad and would still like to go back. It's a huge museum, home to some of the most famous Spanish artists like Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, and more. They have walls with huge masterpieces that will truly blow your mind. I recommend visiting in the morning, as the later the day gets the more busy it typically is. No food or drinks are allowed. As a student you can enter for free (which I clearly took advantage of). On one of my visits there I even got to see other art students copying famous works for their own studies. I always bring a notebook to write down any ideas I have or inspirations that hit me. This is one of the most well renowned art museums in the world and in my opinion you could spend an entire day here. 

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia: This museum was very interesting and had much more modern sections compared to other museums which are mainly historical. This is also home to Picasso's Guernica so of course it is a very important and wonderful museum. They have many other famous artists such as Salvador dali. This museum also has a courtyard in the middle to sit down and relax in between absorbing all of the art which I enjoyed. Definitely a must see art museum and as a student you can enter free of charge. 

   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza: This museum surprised me as I assumed it would be less wowing than the others I’ve visited but Thyssen Museum was truly one of my favorites. Not only do they have more modern artists, they have beautiful priceless early netherlandish paintings. This museum is very big as well and has something for every taste of the artist. They even had a picasso exhibit when I went with the original pieces side by side with the ones that inspired Picasso. I had such an amazing time here and was able to enter for free because of my student transit card. I really encourage looking here to see amazing art from all different kinds of genres and backgrounds. 

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

I was so thrilled that I chose Spain to study abroad and learned so much more about Spanish art history and culture. It made me so motivated to continue to learn Spanish and other languages to be able to better connect and experience different art from across the world. Going to these art museums pushed me outside my comfort zone to go places alone. I feel that this experience really helped me to dedicate more of myself to art and get a better understanding of the art world. 

Fall Semester in Italy

Ciao my name is Lizbeth and this past fall semester I studied abroad in Milan, Italy. I studied at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and it is one of HPU’s exchange partner schools! Studying abroad has been one of the best adventures of my life and I feel so grateful that I took that leap of faith.

This experience was truly enlightening and daring. I learned so much about myself and the world! When it came to housing my school didn't offer it for international students so my friend and I used spotahome (definitely recommended) to get an apartment for the semester and it worked out great. Transportation is also very accessible and interconnected through the city. I would go to school in the metro and it was very efficient and cheap. The food was also affordable. I could get a croissant and cappucino for 2.20 euros!

Here are some of my pointers: 1. Complete your visa application appointment as soon as possible because it can take longer than expected (my visa arrived 2 days before my flight so it was very stressful). 2. Go on as many adventures/ trip as possible. Time flies by too fast and you don't want to have any regrets! 3. Take the time to not only travel around Europe but know your city! I would travel every weekend but when I was home I tried to do so much exploring and immerse myself in Italian culture :) 4. Pack light being abroad you will want to do it all so having a weekend bag and small travel containers and packing cubes makes that a lot easier. 

Some of my favorite parts of Milan to explore was Navigli canal, Parque Sempione, Duomo and Brera :)) A huge culture shock for me was how everybody dressed! Especially coming from Hawaii where a tank and shorts is acceptable but in Milan you would not even see people in athleisure and everyone always looked so put together! Milan is one of the fashion capitals of the world so it does make sense haha. Another tip is to go on solo trips at first I was hesitant but it felt so freeing! Lastly document everything whether that be by journaling, pictures, blogging or vlogging do it you’ll thank yourself later!! Like any adventure outside your comfort zone there will be ups and downs with missing loved ones and familiarity but just by taking it day by day helps.

While abroad I took my unrestricted classes(perfect to explore classes outside of your major). I took classes about Italian food and fashion, female literature, diversity and psychology and loved them all. I only had classes from Monday through Thursday same as HPU. The coursework worked very differently to what I was used to. In Italy I only had two assignments that weighed my final grade which was just the midterm and final exam/ presentation. While back in HPU it's more traditional to have small assignments along the semester and have exams that have less weight on your final grade. 

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or doubts my instagram is @lizbethh.s

a very London fall

There are many tiny joys that we miss in Hawai'i, in the season of fall. The cool weather, the ability to wear multiple layers without looking (or feeling) crazy, escaping the cold into warm cafes and bookstores, and most importantly, the beautiful fall colors!

So when I made the decision to move to London for my Sophomore year, I expected to arrive in chilly English late-September... I couldn't be more wrong. 

The air was humid and hot, at least hotter than I expected with my sweatshirt and jean jacket combo. 

I kid you not, if you do come to London around September time do not think it will be cool and breezy those first couple of weeks, for the most part, it was so similar to the weather patterns on the island! 

For a little preview, this is what my room looked like when I first got to school! There is no AC and, as far as I know, that's how it's like for most places :( 

The school did provide fans which was nice but it was definitely working overtime through all hours of the day. 

Otherwise, you keep your windows open and cross your fingers that you don't get ladybug-infested curtains (I am not kidding they're cute until you realize you have an army of them quite literally over your head)

Apart from those first few adrenaline-packed weeks, the weather began to cool down and I could finally start enjoying the magic of fall in London!

If you are even the slightest bit interested in London, you will know some of the most iconic sights but also the coolest experiences that you can have while walking around! Here are a few of my favorites that I got to do during my first semester :)

1. Walking through the Parks 

        

One thing that I do like about this city is how walkable it is. Especially if you are someone who likes your alone time or enjoys being in nature many parks hidden within the busy streets will transport you to a calmer environment. 

The picture on the right and the one below are some of my adventures through Regents Park. The park itself is huge and spans over 400 acres, it is home to the London Zoo and Queen Mary's Garden. 

There are soo many beautiful spots in this park perfect for a quiet time!

     

I explored this park a lot within my first month there and was able to see a good amount of it but it can be a bit overwhelming and easily confusing, especially on your own. 

Google Maps is pretty reliable to help you find your way back but Citymapper is a good alternative too!

october 29

2. Markets!!!  

One of my favorite things to do...throughout the city you can find different markets that appeal to various crowds. 

On the right, is when I visited Borough Market famous for the enormous amount of food options like the chocolate-covered strawberries (they were soo good). 

So bright and busy even though we went really late in the day but soo fun. 

Highly recommend, when you go with friends have everyone get a little something and make a makeshift charcuterie board after. My friends and I did it, it was so good and so cheap, 100% better than dining hall food lol!

 3. Cafes/Cafe hopping

1000% recommend saving a bunch of different cafes to try out while your abroad around your area. This cafe is in Camden and was so close to my school!

SO cute and cozy we were like the only customers left before it closed, we spent like two hours there just studying and before we left the guy working gave us free pastries!!! 

It was such a chill and relaxing time but there are so many hole-in-the-wall places like this one that are perfect for studying or catching up with friends :)

Here is a list of some good study spots!

4. Sightseeing

Obviously, when you're so close to these iconic and historical places you're going to want to at least stop by.

 In the beginning, that is all I did. Visiting the palace and Big Ben and some beautiful sites like Primrose Hill (Pictured Below). 

Seeing some of these places was actually so surreal, as it was something that I had dreamed about for so long. Even writing this I can't believe that I have seen these sites...I've visited benny so many times now throughout my time abroad and it still never gets old seeing that view. 

 Fall in London has been an experience of a lifetime! There are so many incredible things that you can do throughout the season. It is bustling with life and cultures and has so many opportunities that you should take advantage of!  

If you have any questions about my life here so far, whether it be school or recommendations, please feel free to reach out to me on my ig/ @whenhopemeetsworld 

thank you :)

My First Semester Recap - Abroad in Nagoya, Japan

I'll start this off with a brief self-introduction. 

    Hello, to those who may find this post, my name is Ma'ila Kambel. I am from Oahu, Hawaii and as of writing this post, I am a Junior  / 3rd year student at Hawaii Pacific University. I started my journey abroad on August 24th, 2023 (technically the 25th given the timezone changes), heading to Nagoya, Japan, where I'd be attending Nagoya University of Foreign Studies [名古屋外国語大学], or NUFS for short.

Dorming - NUFS International House

    At NUfS, for study abroad students, there are 3 dorms to choose from, that of which are NUFS Global Village, NUFS-NUAS Residence, and the dorm I happen to be staying at, NUFS International House (referred to as "I-House").

    The other two dorms are more apartment-style, in the sense that it's less communal, whereas I-House is more of a shared space. We have a central courtyard (seen above), and a common room / spacious lobby area in the dorm. Additionally, there are also two study rooms or kotatsu (炬燵 / こたつ) rooms, which are amazing to hang out in, especially when it's cold. One of them even has a projector you can hook your laptop up to.

    Truth be told, I was pretty skeptical about having been given this dorm, as my original choice was the NUFS-NUAS Residence. However, after being here and meeting the then-current residents from the previous semester, and everyone else who arrived around the same time as me, I wouldn't give it up for anything now. Much like at HPU, I was able to make further connections with people from all over the world, rather seamlessly given how communal the dorm is. I was actually a little worried about how I'd be making friends here, but literally the night of my arrival, I met some truly amazing people.

Classes at NUFS - Fall Semester

    Here at NUFS, the semester here was very enjoyable. The schedule is pretty flexible, whereas much like HPU and many other places, it comes down to the classes you pick and how you format your own schedule upon registration day. The only gripe I had with picking my classes is that it is a lottery-based system when they are, or get close to being full, I think. I unfortunately didn't get two of the classes I had chosen originally and had to swap them with something else, but it was super easy as you just do it all online through the school website like how you pick classes at HPU. 

NUFS Class Timetable (as of Fall 2023):

For the Fall semester, my schedule looked like this:

Monday - Period 3 - Japanese Literature

Tuesday - Period 1 / 2 - Japanese Langauge

Wednesday - Period 1 / 2 - Japanese Language

Thursday - Period 2 - Japanese Culture and Hospitality; Period 3 - Japanese Film

Friday - OFF

    So, all around, my schedule was super manageable for this previous semester. Additionally, they also had a paid language tutoring program, (I had to pre-register for it, due to the need to declare it at customs), which was a very convenient way to connect with domestic students here at NUFS. I had signed up to work for two days, Tuesdays/Wednesdays, during the lunch period. Also, with the Langauge Lounge program, I was able to hop in with the Japanese language tutors inversely, to practice, well, my Japanese. There were quite a lot of domestic students who wanted to join the English Language Lounge, it was like a 1:4-5 tutor-to-student ratio. The most I had was seven people at the same time, still enjoyable nonetheless. It was genuinely fun, and overall an overall great experience. I made a lot of new friends that I currently talk to and also tend to hang out with on an almost daily basis.

In Summary

    Other than that, I've been trying to travel and go out with friends as much as possible during the three-and-a-half-month winter break, since I was more preoccupied during the actual semester. It was crazy to actually be in a foreign country for many holidays, especially the New Year. I aspire to continue to meet new people, make new friends, and build lasting connections while I'm here until July 2024. Should choose NUFS when studying abroad in Japan, I look forward to possibly seeing you next semester, or if you happen to see this when I've already left, just know that you are in good hands, and with good folk. It may seem pretty crazy at first, but it'll pass a lot faster than you think. So, enjoy your time here, and live life to the fullest; make the most of it. If you have any further questions about my time here, shoot me a message on Instagram @mr.alxha, or email me @mkambel1@my.hpu.edu.