It seems to me more than just a little insensitive to continue blogging about my semester abroad without acknowledging the events of two weekends ago. However, to address it in the immediate aftermath would give only a perspective clouded by fear and sympathy. A few semesters ago, in a classroom at Rollins, my peers and I discussed…
Author: vvillavicencio@rollins.edu
One Suitcase, Ten Days (Thanks, RyanAir)
October has gone by in a whirlwind, taking with it Halloween festivities and an amazing Fall Break adventure. Since the middle of summer, my flatmates (as the Brits would say), have been brainstorming about what to do for Fall Break. The advantage of studying abroad in Europe, albeit not on the continent, is having the…
Changing the Channel
It’s dawn, if 4 am qualifies as such, and the morning of Fall Break is nearly upon us. I am writing from a London bus which is on its way to Heathrow Airport, and the driver turns corners so fast my suitcase keeps slamming into me.Even though, I will (possibly, at some time today) be…
Venturing into London’s East End
There are some who proudly proclaim that Chicken Tikka Masala is the UK’s national dish, substantiating this argument by putting particular emphasis on UK now exporting the dish to India. There are, according to the multiple tour guides who have taken me around Brick Lane, more curry houses in London than there are in Mumbai….
Into the English Countryside
Despite using my previous post to tout the virtues of staying in London, I am as guilty as anyone else of using my weekend to take day-trips to explore England. Nothing is quite as relaxing as napping on a tour bus while taking a two-hour journey out of the city. One of the benefits of…
Down the Rabbit Hole
London, with its magical Underground that whisks you off from station to station, is more akin to a microcosm than just a city. Considering that a third of its 8.5 million population was born overseas, the city represents a merging of languages, cultures, cuisines, and arts that has no parallel within the country, and very few…
Did I Forget to Pack My Toothbrush?
Since I decided to study abroad for this fall semester, I have been on the receiving end of plenty of questions from friends and family. ‘Aren’t you excited?’ is the most recurring one, and I have learnt to promptly reply with an enthusiastic ‘Oh yeah! I can’t wait to get there’. Depending on who is…