“Go to the theatre, to museums, and to concerts as often as possible. It gives you a healthy glow.”

This quote is from a brilliant book my dear college roommate passed along to me, titled, How To Be Parisian Wherever You Are. However, I think it offers good advice for being a consumer of culture in whatever city you reside.

I have fully immersed myself in the culture here and my experience has taken a 180. I spent my first few weeks hitting all the touristy spots and following guides from people who had studied in Barcelona in previous years. However, lately, I have been living like a local and absolutely loving my experience.

On February 3rd*, people all across Japan celebrate the arrival of spring! Unlike America, where we wait for the wisdom of the groundhog, February 3rd is always the day before the start of spring. This day is called Setsubun, which literally translates to “seasonal divide,” and is a day to chase away evil spirits and ward off bad luck.

Hi all!

My semester in Morocco started with the intensive Darija (Moroccan Arabic) course. I arrived in Morocco 10 days before the program start date, and though with no prior exposure to either classical Arabic or other Arabic dialects, I picked up a decent amount of Darija and soon after the program started, moved from a beginner Darija class to an advanced class where everyone else has studied classical Arabic.

Before I left for Amsterdam, I idealistically (and ignorantly) thought of it as a liberal, equality based and essentially perfect city. From stroopwafels, to a city I can easily navigate on bike, to progressive legislation and breathtaking canals, it was love at first sight. Now don’t get me wrong, I am still intensely in love with Amsterdam. So much so, that I’ve already begun exploring my options for attending graduate school here.