January 2010 marks my last semester as an undergraduate college student here at SPC.
I'm nervous and excited about graduating in May and I'm trying to make the most out of my last days here.
Before the semester started, I attended a Phi Alpha Theta Conference in San Diego, CA. Phi Alpha Theta is the History Honors Society at SPC. Three of us, Jonathan Brantley, Michael Massey, and I were funded by the school to present papers at the conference. Our adviser, Dr. Rabin was also there.
The Saint Peter's College group at the Phi Alpha Theta conference
I presented a paper I wrote while I was an exchange student at the University of Malta. It was about the movement for Italian unification during the 19th century and how wars and conflict helped the unification process. I think I did fairly well during my presentation. I was very nervous, especially since this was my first history conference. I was very interested in my topic and I think that really helped my presentation.
Presenting my paper: Risorgimento: The Road to Italian Unification
Other than presenting papers, we attended paper sessions (there were over 400 paper presentations), met other history undergrad and graduate students, and got to see the sites of San Diego. The paper presentations were interesting because we were allowed to choose which topics to attend. It was nice networking with other history majors, talking to them about what to do after graduation and such. I met some history grad students who want to become college professors, or are applying to PhD programs around the world. For the first time I felt comfortable talking about my passions for history because I was with other people who shared the same interests as me. At one point during the conference, we were all talking about our paper presentations while hanging around the hotel's pool and I felt like we were in history heaven!
On our first day in San Diego, we got to see this beautiful sunset
San Diego was absolutely beautiful. It's a very different city compared to NYC. The weather was warm and we got the chance to swim in the hotel's pool every night! We visited sites in Sa Diego including Old Town, the Gaslamp Quarter, saw the USS Midway Museum, and the Zoo! We got to eat authentic Mexican food since San Diego is so close to the Mexican border. My favorite part was the Zoo. It's absolutely beautiful-a lot different than the Smithsonian zoo in Washington, D.C. I got to see a baby panda and so many peacocks and peahens! We spent the entire day at the zoo the day before we left to go back to cold New Jersey.
Old Town, San Diego
Our hotel had three pools, two slides, and a hot tub! We took advantage of the warm weather and the pools every day!
The San Diego Zoo!!
If you look closely behind us, there's a peacock on the tree! I got so much peacock paraphernalia at the zoo including a peacock key chain, t-shirt, and stuffed animal! The peacocks were absolutely beautiful.
All in all the conference was a success. We were able to represent Saint Peter's College for the first time at a history conference and got to meet other history students and had fun! I didn't want to fly back to the cold weather....
The week before classes started at SPC, my family had some Australian visitors over. My family and I used to live in Australia and we still have some family friends there. I got to tour my friends, Lauren and Louise, around New York City. I took them to all my favorite places including the Museum of Natural History, F.A.O. Schwartz, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, and we also got to see Wicked the musical! I was so excited because I had never seen the show before and it was absolutely amazing!
Outside the Wicked theater
Outside the main building of Ellis Island
The Statue of Liberty up close
The view of Jersey City and NYC across the Hudson
Spring Semester began the last week of January. But before classes started, I got to help train our new Pavo Student Ambassadors. We have eight new Pavo members, all trained and ready to give tours of our college. I've been a Pavo ambassador since my freshman year and it's so nice to meet and help the new Pavos who will continue the organization long after I'm gone. Training lasted for three days and ended with a Pavo dinner with old and new members.
Our new Pavo Members!
Old Pavo members rocking out with our new Pavo t-shirts!
Finally, classes started. It felt weird on the first day of classes, knowing this would be my last first day of school.
This semester I'm taking six classes:
Medieval History (1100-1450) with Dr. Rabin
Pre-Columbian Civilizations with Dr. Surrey
Urban Anthropology with Dr. Cohen
The Arthurian Legend with Dr. Walsh
The Story of Rock with Professor Cummines
and an International study abroad course with Dr. Chew-we're going to Greece over spring break!
I'm finishing up taking my last major, minor, and core classes. I like my classes and professors so far.
On the first weekend of the semester, the McMullen Chorale had our semester retreat in the Poconos. Needless to say it was a lot of fun. We learned new warm up exercises and music. We had a lot of free time to spend with each other and get to know each other as a group. I've always liked spending time with the chorale and going on these retreats. It's so sad to think that this will be my last Chorale retreat!
Sopranos on the Chorale retreat!
On January 29, Global Outreach along with SPC Intramurals had our annual "All-Nighter." It's a fund-raising event to raise money for our trip to Ecuador in May. A local band "Highbench" performed along with our own Mike DeJager from Residence Life and Matt Calvert. Gift certificates and baskets were raffled off as well as a 50/50. It was a fun night that started from 9 PM and ended at 3 AM. It was heartening to see students attend this event because I'm part of the Global Outreach team this year.
Global Outreach Team 2010 Ecuador
Our very own Cheryl Schenk performing with Highbench!
I've also attended a few basketball games this semester already. Tomorrow is the Pack the House, Pink Zone game. It's one of the big basketball events of the year and everyone wears pink for breast cancer awareness while we watch the women basketball team play.
This week and next weekend is packed with events. I'll be attending the first Senior Retreat this weekend. On Thursday we have the Evening of International Song and Dance-my favorite event on campus.
Meanwhile, I'm still busy writing my senior thesis. I have about fifteen more pages to write so hopefully I'll be able to get it done so I can enjoy the rest of senior year.
Here's to a fun-filled, amazing, memorable last semester!
It's been forever since I last updated my blog-partly for reasons that were out of my control and partly because I was super busy with end of the semester events and deadlines. But I'm glad to be on Winter Break, relaxing at home and catching up.
I'm leaving for a Phi Alpha Theta conference in San Diego next week. I am presenting a paper in front of the Honors History society. I'm excited because I've never been to San Diego and I will get the chance to present on a topic that I am very interested in-the Italian Risorgimento, or unification. I wrote the paper while studying in Malta and the Conference accepted my paper.
During the Spring Semester I will also be traveling to Greece in March on spring break with SPC. Dr. Chew is teaching a Classical Civilizations study abroad course about Greece and I was the recipient of the scholarship to go to Greece! I'm so excited. My roommate Veronica is also going. I didn't get the chance to visit Greece when I was in Malta so I'm glad I got the chance to do it this semester.
Also, in May after graduation, I am planning on going on the Global Outreach trip with Campus Ministry to Ecuador. The trip will take a great deal of preparation and service but I am excited to do this type of long term community service in the Global community. We will be helping a mission there founded by the Jesuits that help young boys stay in school and off the streets. The mission also helps their families as well. I should probably brush up on my Spanish but I'm happy to be a part of Global Outreach this year.
I flew home to the Philippines this past November because my grandfather (Lolo in Tagalog) passed away. My family and I stayed there for about a week. I haven't been to the Philippines since high school and it was great to see family and friends who I haven't seen in so many years. I got the chance to see my other grandparents and catch up with my cousins as well. It's always hard having family in a different country, especially members who I'm still close with. It's hard keeping in touch. This trip back to the Philippines was a chance to reconnect with my background and strengthen the bond between me and my family there.
We flew back to the States on Thanksgiving. It was definitely an interesting Thanksgiving. I had a lot to be thankful for. I was thankful for my family in the Philippines and thankful for the family I have here with me in the US. I was able to cope with my grandfather's death because of the support I had at home and with my family both in the Philippines and the US. I'm so grateful for all of my friends who helped me get through this rough time.
My family in the Philippines
With my grandparents
These tricycles are found all over the Philippines and is one mode of transportation that people take to get around. Here we're in front of the one of the churches my grandparents go to in the Philippines
With my cousins and I bowling-this was their first time bowling and it was so much fun teaching them and being able to spend time together
This is one of my favorite pictures with my two youngest cousins. I miss them so much!
We visited Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's house-one of the founders of Filipino Independence. This house was five floors, like a mansion and it had several secret passageways and unique characteristics. It even has an indoor pool inside! This house was built in the late 19th century and it's preserved today for the people of the Philippines.
We visited one of the many volcanoes in the Philippines. This one is called Taal Volcano and believe it or not, the whole lake behind me is the entire crater of the volcano. The last time it erupted was about forty years ago. The place was beautiful and so peaceful-different from being near Manila.
It's always interesting visiting the Philippines. It is a developing country so there is still a great deal of poverty there. Poverty in the Philippines isn't hidden either-it stares you straight in the face. There are shacks right across the malls. It's difficult every time I go back to the Philippines because I want to help. It's overwhelming to me because I want to make a difference but do not even know where to begin. Going back home is an eye opener for me because it makes me even more thankful for the blessings and opportunities I'm given here in America. I'm thankful to be able to pursue the American dream and have opportunities that I wouldn't have if I was still in the Philippines.
Once I got back from the Philippines I was busy making up schoolwork and getting ready for Christmas. My professors were very understandable-one of the things I like about going to a small school. At Saint Peter's College, each student really is given personal attention. My professors understood my situation and were gracious enough to give me extra time to make up all of my work.
There were also several end of the semester activities going on at SPC.
On Dec. 1, SPC had its first World AIDS Day Benefit Concert. The McMullen Chorale sang "Seasons of Love" for it and Kevin Cummines coordinated a series of monologues acted out by SPC students. The monologues were about characters who were affected by or had AIDS. I thought the concert was profound. It was different from the Performing Arts shows because it was dramatic and had a different message. We donated the money we raised to a Jersey City center that helps those with AIDS.
Photo taken courtesy of Juan Cardenas
My friend JP and I played brother and sister. JP's character had AIDS and I am the sister who supports her brother. It was one of the many monologues spoken during the AIDS Benefit
Two days later the McMullen Chorale had our annual Winter Concert and Christmas Tree Lighting. I've been a member for the Chorale for four years and it's sad to think that this will be my last time performing for the Winter Concert. We sang Christmas carols and other Holiday songs including Sleigh Ride, Erev Shel Shoshanim (a Hebrew song), and I even got to sing a solo during Let There Be Peace on Earth. Fr. Braden said the Christmas tree blessing and we had refreshments after the concert where we mingled with everyone and enjoyed the holiday spirit.
My friend Mae and I with the Christmas tree!
The senior Chorale members with Kevin
Enjoying refreshments and each others company after the concert
Some Pavo members with our advisor, Cheryl Schenk
The Pavo Society also had our Christmas dinner with the White Elephant (sort of like Secret Santa). This year, we had dinner at Amelia's Bistro where we got to make our own hummus and the food was delicious. For White Elephant this year I got an Express gift card and I was very happy!
At dinner with some Pavos
Pavos with our White Elephant presents!
The last week of school, Campus Ministry held a Taize prayer to help students and faculty relax from our busy schedules. I helped sing with the choir. Taize is a group started in France in which people come together to sing songs as a prayer and meditation. We sang several Taize songs and had listened to some readings.
Our beautiful chapel during Taize prayer
On Reading Day, the day before finals started, the Chorale had our Community Service at the A. Harry Moore School. We sang carols for children with disabilities. We visit this school every semester and it's always a joy to sing for these children.
The Chorale at our community service
Later on, I went to Carnegie Hall to see my history professor, Dr. Rabin sing with the St. Cecilia Chorus. I have been going to these concerts since my freshman year. This year the concert featured the Mass compose by Hummel and Mozart. As always, it was very interesting and I love going to Carnegie Hall. The conductor, David Randolph, always has something to share about the pieces and helps the audience understand the music better.
After the concert, even though it was freezing, we made our way to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller center. The city is beautiful during Christmas time. I love seeing the different decorations around Manhattan like the Macy*s windows and Radio City music hall. I'm so thankful to be so close to such an amazing city.
Christmas tree!
At the end of the semester, Dr. Graham invited us to have dinner at her place. She invites her Theology classes every year and I was happy to come. I went two years ago as a guest and this year I was able to come as her student. We had a great time cooking dinner and chatting with other SPC students. Dr. Graham is always great and I'm glad I had the chance to have her as a professor.
Cooking 101 with Dr. Graham!
During finals my friends that I met from the University of Malta visited me in NYC! Rachel from Canada, Alessandro from Italy, and Claire from Chicago joined myself and Cassandra from Long Island to experience Christmas in the city. I took them around Manhattan and we saw everything from the Metropolitan Museum to Little Italy. It was amazing to see my friends again. It's so hard to believe that half a year ago I was in a different country. I still think of Malta often and it was so good to see my friends, although we still had to say goodbye in the end. I try to keep in touch with my study abroad friends as much as possible. It's easy to do so with things like Facebook and Skype. But it's still hard making the effort, especially since we're all busy with our own lives at home. But I'm thankful that my friends came and I was able to share NYC with them.
Rachel and I saw Hair the musical as well as In the Heights. They were amazing! Rachel and I both share a love for Broadway musicals
At Strawberry Fields in Central Park
The whole group eating in Little Italy
After finals were over I went home and caught up on some much needed rest. But I miss all of my friends at SPC. I think it's harder for me to say goodbye, even for a month of winter break, because I'm a senior and I know that this upcoming semester will be my last. I don't want to think about how soon graduation is but it's a reality that is inevitable. Right now I want to enjoy my family and friends as much as possible and enjoy the rest of the memories I will have at SPC.
Christmas time is my favorite time of the year. I love everything about it-from the music, the cheesy movies, the decorations, the optimism that I feel around me-everything. This time of the year last year I was preparing to study abroad and saying goodbye to friends and family for six months. This year I'm saying goodbye for good after graduation.
2009 was an amazing year for me. I spent half of the year living in another country, making friends all over the world, and having an amazing experience traveling and studying abroad. The summer was great as well-I caught up with friends, had a summer job, and got ready for senior year. The first half of senior year was very unique. I have more SPC memories and am looking forward to the last semester of college ever!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! I hope that this year, 2010, is prosperous and has many amazing memories.
It's been a while since I last updated. Around mid-October everyone had mid-terms and I was studying as well as writing papers. This past Thursday my first draft for the Tuleja Seminar was due. I successfully wrote 25 pages on John Stuart Mill and his views on women and the individual. Needless to say, I'm very happy that it's almost done. Now I just have to start writing my Honors Thesis. We had an Honors Colloquium this past Wednesday and each of the seniors writing their thesis were given 5 minutes to talk about their research so far. There are twelve seniors who are writing one this year, including me. I hope to get my thesis written before school ends for winter break.
Despite a lot of work, October was also full of fun events and things to do.
Mid-October, Oct. 16-18, was our annual Catholic Retreat. This year it was called Catholic....Who Are Your Heroes?.
All of the retreatants after playing an icebreaker
We talked about the Saints and their lives. I was really happy about the turnout this year, there were about 19 people who came including the retreat leaders and Mary Sue. On the first night we talked about St. Ignatius Loyola and the faith heroes in our every day lives. I realized that I am blessed to have plenty of faith heroes constantly present in my life and I am grateful for all of them. I spoke on the second day about how a saint becomes a saint. I talked about the canonization process and specifically about St. Padre Pio and how he was declared a saint. We had other retreat talks about saints and the miracles, sacraments, and community service.
On the second day we also had our talent show! It's definitely one of the highlights of the weekend because Mary Sue always bakes apple pie and we all have a blast. This year I also cooked dinner for the first time-I cooked adobo, one of my favorite Filipino dishes.
All of the girls after the talent show-we had a dance party afterward!
Mary Sue's amazing apple pie
I had an amazing time that weekend on my last Catholic retreat. I've been going on this retreat for the past four years and every time it's been great. I'm happy that I got to be a part of it for so long and hope that the upcoming retreats will be just as meaningful for others as it was to me.
There were a lot of seniors who attended the retreat
On Oct. 22, I went to the Human Life Review dinner in New York City along with four other students and Dr. Conlon. Dr. Conlon is the adviser for our Pro-Life Club which is a new club this year. We support the pro-life movement on campus. The Human Life Review is a scholarly journal that publishes articles about the pro-life movement. We were able to attend the dinner because of donors. I was excited to go to this dinner because I got to meet other pro-lifers and listen to others give speeches about something I feel passionate about. The hor d'ouvres and dinner tasted great-definitely a good break from cafeteria food.
A group shot before we left for the dinner
With a copy of The Human Life Review at the dinner
Group shot with Dr. Conlon
Thanks to Dr. Conlon and other donors, we all had a great time and gained more insight into the pro-life movement.
Halloween is my favorite type of occasion because I always love dressing up in costume and going out with my friends. This year my roommate and I carved pumpkins to get ready for the Halloween festivities. This is the second time I carved a pumpkin and I had a great time doing it.
I love Halloween!
This year I was MetroCard for Halloween! This is probably the best idea I've ever had for a costume and it was also the cheapest costume too. I made it out of cardboard, posters, and glue with the help of a friend. I couldn't wait to show off my costume at the Greenwich Village parade in the city. It rained on Halloween night but it didn't stop me from going. A few friends and I dressed up and went to the parade.
MetroCard!
Last Friday, November 6, I was invited to go to the Business Symposium, an event held every year by Saint Peter's College. This year the theme was "Restoring Confidence: From Crisis to Recovery." The keynote speaker was Ali Velshi, Correspondent for CNN. He has his own show called "Your $$$$$" and just recently published a book about the economy. He spoke about the economy and the struggles America has to face before it fully recovers. Other speakers included Byron Pitts, correspondent for 60 Minutes who talked about the hope for America despite the economic crisis and SPC's own Kathleen Fitzgerald, Communications Officer at KPMG, a major accounting firm.
I was chosen as one of the outstanding seniors recognized by Dr. Cornacchia. He spoke a little bit about me and what I do at the college. I felt honored to be spoken about in front of everyone. I enjoyed attending the Symposium and listening to the speakers. Although I have a very strong liberal arts background, I am still interested in business and other interests that aren't necessarily in my field.
With other SPC students who attended the Business Symposium. It was held at the Hyatt Hotel in Jersey City. We had a beautiful view of the NYC skyline.
Last Saturday, November 7, the History Club went on its first walking tour of NYC. Our tour guide, Emily, took us around Greenwich Village where she talked about several historical places and sites. We learned how Greenwich Village was actually a suburb before NYC became a city in the colonial period. We also found out about riots, conflicts, and struggles that took place in the Village including the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the Irish Draft Riots during the Civil War. It was fascinating learning about these events because I constantly go to the Village and usually pass old buildings without really appreciating them. Now I have a better understanding of the Village's vibrant history.
This was taken in front of Mayor LaGuardia's statue in Greenwich Village with the History Club. The weather was gorgeous!
The next day my friend Jacob and I sang at Fr. MacVeigh and Fr. Stump's Golden Jubilee Mass. These Jesuits are part of the SPC community and have been ordained as Jesuits for 50 years. Congratulations to them! Father Stump gave an insightful homily of what it means to be a Jesuit for 50 years. It means a life of service and doing as much as one can for God and his works. I was happy to sing for this special occasion and we got to mingle afterward during the luncheon as well.
Jacob and I with Fr. Stump, SJ-a Jesuit for 50 years!
The Presidential Ball set up
Last night was the annual Presidential Ball in honor of our president, Dr. Cornacchia. This year it was held in McIntyre Lounge and hosted by Student Senate and the Class of 2013. I always like going to these dances and it was a fun time with the president, my friends, and SPC students.
Senior Girls with President Cornacchia!
So much has happened in October and I can't believe it's already November-one month before finals start! My senior year is quickly passing me by. I really can't believe it and I don't want it to end just yet. I want to appreciate every day that I have here at SPC.
I can't believe it's already October and September has flown by. I had a busy month full of beginning of the year activities and ceremonies and now it's back to doing serious work. I have two mid-terms this week as well as a retreat this weekend, the Catholic Retreat. I'll be a retreat leader. This year the theme for our Catholic retreat are "Who Are Your Heroes?" We'll be talking about saints, their lives, and how they inspire us to become better Catholics.
I want to share a picture of my apartment this year. I'm really excited because I'm rooming with one of my close friends, Veronica Graveline, from California. She's one of the first people I first met here at SPC and we're really excited about rooming together.
My new room! Notice the Maltese pride on the right. I have a whole wall dedicated to all my travels abroad from last semester.
So here's a recap on all the events that happened on September:
On September 10 I was inducted into Phi Alpha Theta, the History Honors Society. There were three new inductees, including me, and most of the history faculty department was present as we agreed on our vows. I also got elected as Secretary for our chapter.
We're planning on new events this year for the honors society including having a guest speaker, Dr. Fischer, talk about his new book On the Waterfront about Irish immigrants in Manhattan. There's also a Phi Alpha Theta conference this January in San Diego that we're planning on attending. As members, we'll attend the conference as well as give a presentation on a paper we have previously written. I'm really excited about getting more involved with the history honors society.
Me, along with the new Phi Alpha Theta inductees with the History Department Faculty
Other than Phi Alpha Theta, I was also elected as President of the History Club this year (when I was still in Malta). We meet twice a month on Thursdays at noon. There's always free food and we play trivial pursuit. This year we're trying to do different things such as visiting a museum, having a Jeopardy tournament, and sponsoring a movie night. Recently, we went to St. Ann's Home for the Elderly to finish our community service from last semester. We came and took down oral histories, basically we interviewed members of the community at St. Ann's about their life. It was really interesting! I spoke to a 92 year old man named Marty who grew up in Bayonne and loves his life. We're planning on going again in November.
History Club members in front of St. Ann's at our Community service project
Along with all the honors and inductions, Saint Peter's College had its Michaelmas Convocation on September 23. The top 10 students of the Class of 2010 were inducted into the "Most Noble Order of the Peacock." There were also several undergraduate awards that were also given. I received the Konstantyn Sawczuk Award for having the highest average in History by the end of junior year. I was honored to be given this award.
My friend Jacob, my Dad, me, and Fr. Wrynn (Chairperson of the History Department) at the luncheon after Michaelmas Convocation
So...enough about history!
On September 13, my roommate Veronica and I went to "Broadway on Broadway." It's a free performance in which all the musicals take a part in. I've been going every year since freshman year and I really didn't want to miss this one as a senior. This year was the best Broadway on Broadway I've been to, I think. We got the chance to sing along to "Seasons of Love" and see a lot of great performances. Hopefully I'll be able to see a few shows this year.
Veronica and I in front of the stage
During the finale, "New York, New York" I love NYC!
On September 16 the McMullen Chorale performed at the Presidential Reception, honoring our SPC donors. We sang the Alma Mater as well as Io Pavo, the SPC fight song. I had a fabulous time meeting alumni and enjoying our spectacular view of NYC.
My friend Mae and I at the Presidential Reception
The next day, a couple of friends and I went to the San Gennaro festival in Little Italy, Manhattan. The San Gennaro festival is held every year in September and I've been going ever since my freshman year. It's based on an actual Italian festival in Napoli honoring San Gennaro. There's a whole ceremony in Naples where the produce of this year's crop is predicted. In Little Italy there are a bunch of booths set up that sells food, souvenirs, and other merchandise. It really made me miss my Italian friends from Malta.
At the San Gennaro Festival
The weekend of Sept. 18-20 was a really busy one for me. On Friday, we had Student Leadership Day, sponsored by Student Senate, for all the e-board clubs and organizations of our school. The next day I had to wake up early for the Chorale Retreat Day. This year we had a retreat on-campus where we learned new music for this year as well as do some team bonding activities. Kevin Cummines is the Chorale Director and planned the whole thing, including free food! Later that evening we had a pool party and I swam in the SPC pool for the first time!
Learning the music
Veronica and I at the pool party
On Sunday I had to wake up early again for another retreat, this time for Campus Ministry. We went on a mini retreat for retreat leaders at the Marist Brothers place in Poughkeepsie, NY. It was at the same site where we held our Adventure Retreat. I still had a lot of fun doing some new low ropes courses and learning more about my fellow retreat leaders.
Most of the retreat leaders this year
On September 26 it was Free Museum Day nationwide. Participating museums gave free admission to everyone and it was sponsored by Smithsonian. As a history buff, I love visiting museums! I think it's why I loved Washington, D.C. so much. Veronica, her mother visiting from California, and I visited The Museum of the City of New York. It was so interesting! They had an exhibition on New Amsterdam and the Dutch influence as well as a toy exhibition, photo exhibition, and an exhibition on trade and commerce of Wall Street. I learned a lot about Manhattan and its past. Hopefully I'll be visiting more museums this year as well.
Veronica and I in front of the museum
Later on that day my friend Albert got tickets to the Devils pre-season game against the Philadelphia Fliers. I had so much fun! I went to my first hockey game last year and I'm definitely a Devils fan. The Devils won after scoring a goal in the first few minutes of the game. I really hope we have a good season this year.
Albert and I in the Prudential Center where the Devils play
So, that's pretty much September of my Senior year! It's been hard balancing leisure time and work. I'm still working on my honors thesis and history research paper. It's really hard trying to balance everything, but hopefully all is well in the end. See you in October.
So, I took a little break from updating my blog over the summer and now it's back to school!
I was really glad that I had a few months of summer after I got back from Malta before school started. It was really hard adjusting to things-culturally and starting to work again. I thought (and still do) think of Malta every day and it feels like it was just yesterday that I was there.
However, I did have some goals this past summer:
1. Get a job and earn enough money to travel
2. Lose the "Malta 15" by running around my neighborhood every day
3. Catch up with family and friends
4. Start researching for my honors thesis and reading for the Tuleja Seminar (class-related)
5. Begin planning for post-grad plans (JVC, taking the GREs, Grad School)
I accomplished a few things. This summer, I worked for the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, or the HESAA. It's the place where college students get approved for loans and grants. I simply helped process loans, worked on past loan cases, and helped around the office. It was nice because there were other summer interns there who were my age and it was close to my house. I think I earned enough this summer to start traveling again.
This is me, right outside of our office
When I first got back from Malta I missed being in Europe and all of my friends but there were some things that I was excited about being home in America like eating home cooked Filipino food by my mother, having a couch and TV, driving on wide roads on the right side of the road (it was so scary driving a car for the first time after 6 months), going to 24 hour diners with greasy french fries, and of course NYC.
One of the first weekends after I got back, I went up to Jersey City to meet up with some of my friends from SPC. We went out and had a picnic in Central Park and I was so excited to be in Manhattan again! After being on an island where there are no skyscrapers at all, it felt so different being back in the city after so long. I had so much fun re-visiting the places that I went to so many times before.
In Journal Square there was an Egyptian Festival where I had my first fried oreo! They were so good.
Our picnic in Central Park
This was taken outside the PATH station after we had just run 3 blocks in the pouring rain-we were all soaking wet!
I also had the chance to attend a concert for the Good Morning America show with my friend, Megan (who graduated from SPC). We woke up super early on a Friday morning and took the train to Manhattan. The concert was in Central Park and Brad Paisley was on the show that day! We were close to the stage and even got to be on TV! Brad Paisley was promoting his new CD and performed some new songs from it. It was so awesome seeing him perform live. He was also really cute and interacted with the audience during breaks. Seeing the GMA Show was a first for me-and I'd do it again!
Megan and I on the stage
Brad Paisley! It's like he was looking straight into my camera!
On the 4th of July my family had a barbecue at home and we had cousins come over. My Dad and I cooked some ribs and they tasted so good. It was just nice being able to enjoy the good weather, good food, and being with the family.
My Dad and I BBQing
Later on that day, my cousin and I decided to go to Six Flags. LeAnn Rimes was singing at a concert and we also wanted to see fireworks. Surprisingly the lines for all the roller coasters weren't that long. I finally got to ride El Toro and I think it's my favorite coaster in the park, so far. Yet another thing that they didn't have in Malta-amusement parks.
In front of a gigantic watermelon in Six Flags
Watching Leann Rimes for free!
One of the reasons why I love the 4th of July so much is because of FIREWORKS!
I also saw a lot of my friends back at home. One of my friends celebrated her 21st birthday by having a pool party in her backyard. It was like being in the Residence in Malta again!
Jumping into the pool
My friends and I chilling in the jacuzzi
In August, my cousins had their graduation party. Of course it was fun because there was plenty of Filipino food and line dancing. It was nice seeing family members that I hadn't seen yet. Two of my cousins graduated from college and one of them graduated from high school this past year and I'm so proud of them. I was so sad that I had to miss their actual graduation ceremony, but I was happy that I got to celebrate with them at least.
I also got the chance to visit my friends at the beach several times over the summer. Even though I miss the intense blue and calm of the Mediterranean Sea, I still like going to the Jersey Shore.
Chilling at the Jersey Shore
I visited Manhattan one more time before school started in August with friends from SPC again. This time we ate lunch at South Street Seaport and walked around lower Manhattan.
In front of the Brooklyn Bridge
Posing in front of a statue
Right in front of the New York Stock Exchange
Jersey City!
I got the chance to move onto campus early this year because I helped to lead Campus Ministry's first Adventure Retreat. The Adventure Retreat is an idea that came out of interviewing one of our Jesuits on campus. My friend Jacob and I interviewed Fr. Stump who spends his summer in the Adirondacks as a rector for a Boy Scout summer camp. Jacob had the wonderful idea of having a type of adventure retreat for incoming freshman.
This retreat is meant to be a weekend where freshman can meet new friends, learn what to expect from the challenges of college, work as a team with everyone else, and to learn about Jesuit values. I gave a talk about the Examen prayer, a five-step prayer that St. Ignatius Loyola gave the Jesuits to do every day. It's basically a reflection on the day and how you felt and if you could have done better. It's a very powerful prayer and helps you learn more about yourself, try to change, and also get closer to Jesus.
Not only did we have retreat talks, but we had low-rope and high-rope challenges that we all participated in. We went to the Marist Brothers retreat center near Poughkeepsie, NY about two hours away from campus. We slept in log cabins and stayed there for about 3 days. You can read all about the Adventure Retreat from Nicole's Blog. She wrote about our exciting campfire where we got caught in a thunder storm and our high ropes challenge (there's a video too!)
It was fun leading this retreat because I really felt confident as a senior. I had the chance to give advice to freshman and talk about my experience about the past three years of college. It was also just another chance to have fun during my last year at SPC. We had four freshmen, two sophomores, and two juniors come on this trip and we all really bonded and worked together as a group. The Adventure Retreat is definitely on the top of my favorite retreats list. I hope that this retreat will continue onto next year as well. So look out for information next summer incoming freshman!
Me and the other retreat leaders, Jacob and Katie B. Father Stump, SJ also came along with Mary Sue and Doug from Campus Ministry, and our new Assistant for Community Service, Clare.
During the hike we came across this beautiful waterfall
At the top of the mountain, overlooking the beautiful Hudson River
Me doing the high ropes course, up 25 feet on a tree!
Once we got back from the retreat, campus was slowly coming back to life. Upperclassmen were moving in, the freshman had their orientation day, professors were back on campus and I started to see people I hadn't seen since last December.
In some ways it feels like I never left SPC for a semester abroad. Everyone has been asking about my trip and updating on things that happened when I left. I guess it's just weird saying that I'm a senior already, starting my last year at SPC. Freshman year seems so long ago when it really wasn't. Now I'm worrying about what I'll be doing after graduation already. But I want to enjoy my last year as a senior too.
Classes started on August 26 and already I'm super busy (what's new?). On the first day, we had our annual Pavo dinner. I loved seeing everyone in Admissions again!
Barbecue!
Last week we had Club Fair for all the new freshman:
I was promoting the History Club, among other things.
This past Thursday I also got the chance to see my first professional football game! Granted, it was during the pre-season, but it was still fun! I went to the Giants Stadium to see the Jets play the Eagles. We had really awesome seats and had an amazing view of the game. I'm also really happy because the Jets won!
My friend Ivo and I at the Giants Stadium
So senior year started off with a bang. There are so many things that I'm stressing about already like starting research and writing my honor thesis, writing an intense history research paper for the Tuleja Seminar, and applying for jobs/opportunities for next year. I'm also president of the History Club this year as well as an ISEP Student Ambassador (I want to convince more students to study abroad). I just hope that I have the chance to enjoy my last year here at SPC.
I am officially back in the land of the free now that my semester abroad from SPC is over. I arrived here safely, fingers, sandy toes, brains, and all without a hitch. (Lufthansa is a really good airline company). It's bittersweet being at home-it was just last week that I woke up to a house of 11 girls and now I have my own room again and it's weird feeling. Leaving Malta was probably one of the saddest moments of my life. I had to say goodbye to all the friends who became my family abroad these past few months. The hardest part about studying abroad is saying goodbye. It's also sad leaving Europe itself where it was so easy to travel from country to country. I can't wait for the chance to travel again.
Since my trip to Egypt, I've been busy in Malta with exams and events. Classes finished at the end of May and I had six exams and one assignment to finish. It was hard to concentrate on studying that last couple of weeks because the weather was so beautiful and it finally got warm and sunny. There was always someone going to the beach every day and it was so difficult to resist the temptation. Up until exam time, the semester was ridiculously easy because I only had three presentations to work on. Now I had to make up for an entire semester's-worth of reading to catch up on for six classes. Not to self: Never leave reading to the last minute.
My finals were spread out: I had 2 exams the first week of finals, 3 the next week, and only 1 the last week with a paper to write in-between. Even though exams seemed to drag on forever, it worked out because I had a lot of study time in-between even though I wanted to get my tests done and over with. All of my exams were in essay form. Other people had different situations compared to mine; some had several assignments and only a few finals while others had equal amounts. I feel like most of my exams went well....
Taking the exams was also a new experience as well. At Saint Peter's, professors give their own exam in the same classroom and exams are usually over in two weeks at the most. At the University of Malta, the exam schedule is posted only a month in advance, is subjected to change every day (making students like me waking up in the middle of the night worrying about last minute changes on the classroom or time). The professors do not give their own exams-I think to avoid pesky last minute questions from students. Exams are given in classrooms I've never been to before (studies have been done to show that people remember information better in the setting where they first learned it in) but thankfully they were all air conditioned. All students must keep their student ID on the corner of their desk to be checked by the proctor to ensure that the right student is taking the right exam. All bags, notes, etc. have to be placed in the front and back of the classrooms. Talk about being paranoid about cheating....Everything just made me even more nervous to take these exams, especially when proctors stared you down while taking tests. Some people also had exams on Saturdays which was ridiculous. My hardest exam would have to be Art History-with more than 50 painters, sculptors, and architects to memorize, I was a little overwhelmed. Thank goodness exams are finally over.
Studying in Malta...
Right after I got back from Egypt, I jumped into planning an American party which was held on May 16. There were more or less 25 Americans living at the Residence so we had a good number to help plan for the party. I was in charge of decorations. I never realized before how hard it is to find an American flag-and other American paraphernalia-outside the North American continent. There were plenty of European decorations and the closest things to red, white, and blue was the French flag. Malta doesn't have a Party City either, so I had to be creative. We bought red and white construction tape and cut blue starts out of foam paper. I was also lucky enough to find posters of NYC. With decorations taken care of, I also helped with preparing the food. I don't remember the exact number of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I made-but it was a lot! I actually introduced the concept of PB&Js to my apartment and my flat mates Juliette and Ikue absolutely loved them. Other than PB&J we also had fries, potato chips, homemade rice krispies, potato salad, and baked beans.
Pre-party: putting up the decorations for the American Party
The actual party started at around 3 in the afternoon-we wanted to be as American as possible, so we thought-why not have an American barbecue? We had a grill at the residence and the guys grilled hot dogs and hamburgers all afternoon. Luckily, someone's parents from America came to visit and they brought an American flag for the party decorations! We also had a music mix to complete the atmosphere. The party started with an American girl, Cara (who has a great voice) singing the National Anthem (I helped of course).
On a whim I decided to dress up as Lady Liberty. My friend Linzi helped me to create a crown out of cardboard and tin foil. I wrapped a flash light and book with tin foil as well. But my favorite part was the toga I got to wear-I got wrapped up in a white bed sheet to finish the costume (with a little help from my friends, of course). Everyone loved the American party. I had never seen so many people in the pool at the same time-everyone got pushed in at least twice. And everyone loved my costume! There was much picture taking and posing. It was definitely a party to remember-probably one of the best parties of the semester.
Give me your tired, your poor!
Me and my Italian room mate, Diana
The Wednesday after the American party, May 20, there was a Mister and Miss Erasmus competition at club in Paceville all the people at the residence go to. Erasmus stands for: European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students-the European equivalent of the American exchange program. So, hence, the competition being named "Mister and Miss Erasmus." I did NOT want to compete in this at all but my flat mates signed me up for it against my will anyway. But I figured-where else can I participate in this sort of contest with all the support from my friends in a club in Europe? It was just another opportunity I didn't want to regret missing. For the contest, I really didn't have to do much-I just had to dance, one of the things I love to do. I guess people liked it because by the end of a very long night I won Miss Erasmus '09! My Italian friend Mario (the one who I saw in Assisi, Italy this past April) won Mister Erasmus-he had to sing as part of his competition. We both won a free salsa dancing lesson, a champagne bottle, and fifteen free drinks at the club the next time we went there. Winning Miss Erasmus is probably one of my favorite Paceville memories. Since that day a lot of people started calling me Miss Erasmus and throwing me into the Residence pool (despite my protestations, of course).
Presenting Mister and Miss Erasmus '09!
After Miss Erasmus, it was back to studying. The weather had gotten so nice that study breaks consisted of swimming in the pool and hanging out outside the apartment. Some girls also organized a potluck dinner as a sort of study break. Studying all the time forced most of us to be locked up inside our rooms instead of spending the last few weeks in Malta with all our friends. Having this potluck dinner killed two birds with one stone-we had a study break together. For the first dinner I cooked a Filipino dish called giniling made out of ground beef, soy sauce, potatoes, and red pepper and everyone liked it! All the food that everyone brought was really good too. The week after that we decided to have a barbecue where we each brought our own meat and something to eat on the side and my flat mate Juliette and I baked a delicious apple pie for dessert. That was really good too.
My friend Marina and I trying to look "manly" next to the grill
Our first potluck dinner-there was a LOT of food
About a week after the Miss Erasmus contest, it was one of my Italian friend-Antonio's birthday. As a surprise for him, some of us decided to dress up as the Sardinian flag. Antonio is from Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean, part of Italy. I am told that they have beautiful beaches-more beautiful than Malta's, and that there are a lot of sheep. My two roommates Paola and Sara are from Sardinia, Italy as well.
So the Sardinian flag looks like this:
So we tore up some old bed sheets, wore face paint and black clothes and looked like this:
Pretty close, right? Well, anyway, Antonio loved it when we all paraded in with his birthday cake. I really wish I had more occasions to dress up in costume.
Antonio really liked his birthday surprise
On Saturday, June 6, the Italians threw an Italian party. But before the festivities began, my friend Rachel from Canada and I, went sightseeing around Malta once again. I pretty much visited almost all the places I wanted to see in Malta, especially when I got to be a guide when my friend Casey visited me, but Rachel still hadn't seen much of the island. So I took her to Mdina, the silent city, and Rabat where St. Paul's and St. Agatha's catacombs are located. It was a beautiful day to visit Mdina and we had lunch at a restaurant with the amazing view of Malta in the background. After shopping around Mdina for last minute souvenirs, we went to Rabat, the small village right outside the fortressed city and visited St. Paul's catacombs. I had only been to St. Agatha's before, so visiting St. Paul's was different but also similar. Here we didn't have a tour guide to show us around, instead we wandered inside the catacombs ourselves, spooking ourselves out and imagining the life of Malta when the catacombs were still in use.
Rachel and I in Mdina. The weather was beautiful!
Inside St. Paul's catacombs
Jumping in front of St. Paul's statue
The Italian party started later that day and as a surprise to the Italians, my friends Linzi, Marbi, and I decided to dress up in costume one last time. Linzi dressed up as a Barilla pasta box, Marbi dressed up as a pizza slice, and I dressed up as Nutella (of course)! It only took us two days to make and a lot of cardboard that we got from the local supermarket. When we came out in our costumes, the Italians loved it! For the party there was plenty of food such as pasta, nutella, pastries, and Italian drinks such as aperitivos. There was also a PowerPoint presentation of images representing the Italian culture-singers, football players, food, everything! It was a lot of fun and I didn't escape the pool either.
Linzi (Pasta), Marbi (Pizza), and I (Nutella) with all the Italians
Group picture with Rachel's tri-color outfit and Diana
We love Italia!
The Friday before the Italian party, I decided on a whim with a group of other American girls, to visit Sicily the next Sunday, June 7. There's a ferry company that picks tourists up from their residence and the ferry leaves Malta at 7 in the morning and arrives in Sicily in about an hour and a half or less. The ferry returns at around midnight and drives back to the residence. I couldn't believe I didn't do it before-and it didn't cost that much! The trip also includes a tour bus, visiting several sites on the eastern side of Sicily.
We only visited the Eastern half of the island
This map of Sicily is made up of volcanic rock from Mt. Etna
I really wanted to visit Sicily because it was so close to Malta and I didn't think I'd have another opportunity to visit the region which is part of Italy. Also, I wrote about the unification of Italy this semester and Sicily played a big part of it with Garibaldi in the movement. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and very recognizable on the world map. I travelled with lovely girls, Ashley, Jessica, and Christa. We had to wake up super early because the service picked us up at 5:15 AM to get to the ferry. The night before was the Italian party so I was still super tired when we woke up the next morning.
We arrived in Italy around 9 in the morning at the Pozzallo harbor. There, we got on the tour bus, stopped for coffee by the beach which has one of the clearest waters of Italy. Our second stop was Catania, the second largest city in Sicily after Palermo. We only had about an hour and a half there, so we walked around the main street, came upon some ruins, took pictures of beautiful churches, and shopped at a local flea market. It was so hard to believe that Italy, a different country, was so close to Malta-only separated by 60 miles of sea.
Dipping my feet into the beach at Pozzallo
In front of an entrance to ruins in Catania
After Catania, we visited Mt. Etna-the largest and most active volcano in Europe. It's larger than Mt. Vesuvius but less dangerous because scientists can predict when eruptions will occur and take the proper precautions. I never dreamed of ever having the chance to see this amazing natural phenomenon. We spent about 3 hours there. We couldn't go all the way to the top, but we did come upon several craters formed by past eruptions.
The view of Mt. Etna from the bus-believe it or not it's the largest active volcano in Europe
Sitting in front of Silvestri crater
A house damaged by a recent eruption
Our last stop in Sicily was Modica, a cute Italian town close to the harbor where we arrived earlier that morning. We walked around the town which was almost deserted of other tourists. We had the best voted pizza in Italy in a restaurant called Pizza Piu. We watched our pizzas being made-I ordered margherita. They tasted amazing! Sicily is also known for the best tasting canolis and we had a taste of that as well. Sicily had some of the best food I've ever had in Italy. After Modica, it was back on the ferry and Malta. The ride back was super rocky because the sea and waves were very violent. I thought I was going to get seasick but I didn't, thank goodness. By the time we got back to the residence, I was super tired. I had my last exam in two days but I'm so glad I visited Sicily. I wanted to visit Italy one more time before I left Malta. I really did fall in love with that country. The next time I go to Sicily I want to visit the Western side of the island-Palermo, Agrigento, and other places. I really hope there's a next time.
In the pizzeria
Eating the pizza on some Italian steps
About to board the ferry to go back to Malta
After two days of hard studying and taking my last exam (finally!) which was Art History, it was time to spend the last few days in Malta with my friends. Rachel was one of the first to leave. On her last night, we all decided to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe in Malta, in Paceville. It was probably the perfect place to eat because there was a bachelorette party going on during our dinner and there was a live singer who took requests for songs from us. Of course the Italians requested "Volare," a famous Italian song that we all learned to sing. All of us started dancing on the chairs and tables, singing along, and having an amazing time with each other. Afterwards, we went out dancing in Paceville one more time. It was a bittersweet night-knowing that we had to say goodbye the next day to some close friends but trying to make the most out of our precious moments together.
Group picture in front of Hard Rock Cafe
Rachel left for Canada the next morning and my roommate Ikue left to travel around Europe for a month as well. It was the hardest day for me in Malta-saying goodbye to two of my closest friends. I cried as much for me as for them. I didn't really start appreciating Malta until the last few weeks of the semester. I was going to miss the Residence, the pool, the island, the beautiful weather and Mediterranean, and most of all-the friends that I made in Malta.
On Friday, June 12, I went to Comino, the third island that makes up Malta. It's mainly a tourist spot, there's only one family that lives there the whole year. Comino is only popular during the warm weather and it literally is paradise. It's famous for Blue Lagoon, the rocky beach, where the water is so clear, blue, and beautiful. I went with my flat mate, Juliette, it was her last day and I was happy to spend her last day in Malta with her. We also went with my two Finnish friends: Marianna, Marbi, and Marbi's sister. Our Polish friend, Szymon, also decided to come along and he took me exploring around the tiny island. We went snorkeling where there were beautiful fish and coral and jumped from a cliff about 15 meters high! It was my first time ever jumping off a cliff and I was SO scared! But I had to get over my fear because this was something I don't get to do every day.
My words don't do Comino justice, though; just look at all the pictures I took:
Juliette, Marianna, and I in the clear Mediterranean sea-it wasn't really cold, either!
Snorkeling!!
We got back from Comino late in the afternoon and later on that night the Dutch girls (who were all flying home together) planned a get together on the roof. It was another night of saying goodbyes. They had to leave early in the morning and I woke up early, around 5 in the morning, to say a tearful goodbye to them. It was so hard saying goodbye to my flat mates Ikue and Juliette. I got so close to them and I loved living with them. I'm really going to miss cooking dinner, baking, singing, and watching "That 70s Show" with them. But I hope to visit Holland in December so I can see Juliette again and perhaps Ikue can come up to meet us as well.
With the Dutch Crew! This was at their farewell party...
I spent the rest of the day shopping for last minute souvenirs in Valletta. I went to the airport to drop off my Italian roommate, Camilla off-that was hard, saying goodbye too. After that, we played a last game of football with the Italian boys. Later on we spent some of the night at the beach in Golden Bay. Some people wanted to have a barbecue and sleep at the beach all night. We only stayed until two in the morning, sitting down, and spending time with each other again.
Lying down on the beach
The next day, my last full day in Malta, I spent in Comino again. This time I went with my friends Linzi and Cassandra. Comino was breathtaking again and I jumped off a different cliff, this time only 8 meters high. I was still SO scared but Linzi and Cass kept on yelling at me to jump. We also went snorkeling again. It was so nice spending my last day in paradise.
Jumping off a cliff!
After we got back from Comino, I started packing-I had SO much to bring back home. I was afraid that my suitcases would go over the weight limit. But everything fit into my suitcases, thank goodness. Later that night, my Italian friend Alessandro, brought his mother to the residence. She was visiting Malta and Alessandro wanted to introduce her to all his friends. I met her and spoke the little Italian I knew. She took us out to dinner which was very nice of her. Afterwards, I spent the last hours of the night at a local pub.
Linzi and I with Alessandro's sweet mother
Leaving Malta the next morning was hard. I had to say goodbye again-after a week of saying goodbyes. I didn't have any more tears left. It honestly didn't seem like I was saying goodbye, instead I felt like I would be seeing everyone again soon. With technology bringing the world closer, it's easy to keep in touch with my friends abroad through facebook, skype, email, and snail mail. I really hope that my friends don't forget about me. I will never forget Malta and the memories that I will always cherish.
One more picture with my lovely roommates of 108
The flight back went smoothly-no delays or bumps along the way. My luggage wasn't lost (thank God!), and I arrived in Newark on time. I flew with my friend Cassandra, from Long Island. We didn’t know that we booked the same flight and we were both so happy when we found out that we would be flying back to the States together. It was so nice not having to fly alone while I was still emotional. It was nice to have the company, but I still had one more goodbye to say at the airport. I started crying all over again right before my family picked me up at the airport. It was nice seeing my family again, but I was still crying from saying goodbye and leaving Malta. To quote my friend Rachel, Malta was a really good time, it was a vacation. Now it's back to reality. You can't have vacation all the time. But still, I will miss being called Pesche (Peaches in Italian) by everyone, getting woken up by my Italian roommates at 3 in the morning, baking new recipes, learning how to cook real Italian pasta, comparing accents, and all the little things that made the Residence so much fun.
Ciao to all my amazing friends in Malta. I will always remember you!
So I'm back alive and healthy from Egypt! I had an amazing time with my friends in the Land of the Pyramids. We booked a tour guide beforehand so everything was planned and booked for us beforehand and it really helped us in the end because I wouldn't have known how to even start planning a trip in Egypt. Egypt is unlike any country I've ever visited before and I had no idea what to expect other than hot weather.
We were a group of four: Me, my friend Lisa from Ireland and two other American girls: Marina and Brittany. It was good fun travelling around with them. It's funny how we bond so much more travelling and going abroad than by staying at home. We planned this trip in March and I've been eagerly anticipating it ever since.
On the first day we flew to Cairo from Malta which is only a two and a half hour flight. Someone met us at the airport and drove us to our hotel. Cairo at night is a little bit like New York City at night-a city that never sleeps. Cairo has its own unique sense of culture. Although it's quite congested with millions of people and cars (the traffic makes any congested city in Europe pale in comparison) and the immense amount of poverty can be seen on every corner, it's one of the safest cities to be in. Cairo is honestly different from any city that I've ever been in. Unlike in Rome, I sort of knew what to expect from living in a European country but Cairo has a different style of life altogether.
We spent the night at our hotel in Cairo where there was a wedding going on inside one of the tents outside. Arabic music and English music was playing the whole night. Our hotel was amazing with a pool, outdoor restaurant, souvenir restaurants and a bank that definitely came in handy. When we arrived at the hotel we were excited, skeptical and nervous-we still didn't know what to expect! Our man didn't really let us know what was going on and simply gave us our hotel keys and that we were meeting our guide tomorrow morning. I think the coolest thing about our hotel was that we could see the pyramids from our balcony! It was amazing! Upon our arrival I expected the weather to be a great deal hotter but during the night it was cool and refreshing and not too hot at all. That night I was still excited to be in Egypt, however and it was hard to fall asleep.
The next day, we woke up and ate breakfast. I didn't know that falafel, which is served at home as an actual meal, is only a snack and is normally eaten during breakfast in Egypt. The hotel had an English breakfast but there was also cultural food which I tried first such as some interesting cucumber dressing, fig jam, hibiscus juice, falafel, and rice soup. It was all very good but I was a little bit paranoid about getting sick. Many of the girls from the residence who visited Egypt in April got sick during their trip or after they got back. The entire week we drank bottled water and brushed our teeth with it. We also stayed away from fresh fruits and vegetables-at the end of the trip I was dying to have a fresh apple.
Our guide, Mustafa, met us at the hotel. His name reminded me of Mufasa from the Lion King. Another interesting tidbit-almost everyone in Egypt is either named Mohamed or Ahmed generally. Mustafa was such a good guide-he's a tour guide but he's saving up money to become a photographer. The entire day he held all of our cameras (we had four!) and took group pictures of us everywhere with each camera. We had so many pictures only from Day 1 and all of them look amazing.
The first thing we visited was the Giza pyramids which is an oasis amidst the chaos of Cairo. The pyramids are near the sprawling city and can be seen from it. The pyramids of Giza were comprised of 3 pyramids, all built within generations of each other. The first pyramid is the largest pyramid, the Pyramid of Khufu built around 2570 BC and it's been worn down 9 meters since then, it has a wire on the top to signify how tall it was back when Pharaohs were still worshipped as gods on Earth. The second pyramid still has its original limestone covering at the top and it seems bigger than the Pyramid of Khufu only because it's built on higher ground and the third pyramid is a great deal smaller than its companions. All of the pyramids are built on the Western side of the River Nile because the sun sets in the west, symbolizing death and the final resting place of the Pharaohs.
Honestly, I think the pyramids were the most exciting part of the trip. Similar to learning about the Colosseum in Rome and Pompeii in Campania, Italy-seeing the Pyramids was unreal. Everyone learns about the pyramids, pharaohs, and the famous Ptolemaic queen Cleopatra and but it was awe-inspiring to finally see them with my own eyes.
We had a chance to climb a little bit of the first pyramid and we actually went inside the second pyramid! It was unbearably hot inside and we had to climb down a series of more than 100 steps inside a cramped passageway. Inside was very bare since all of the treasure in the pyramids are either stolen or in museums around the world but it was still eerie to be inside Pharaoh’s final resting spot. Afterwards, we rode camels....in front of the pyramids! Riding a camel is really hard to describe and I felt apprehensive because I was so afraid of falling off and of the jarring movement of the moving camel. But it was so worth it and I would love to do it again the next time I visit.
After seeing the pyramids, we visited the Sphinx a few meters away. It is honestly a lot smaller than it seems in the pictures compared to the pyramids. Unfortunately the nose and cobra on the top of its head are completely worn away but it was still a perfect photo opportunity!
Next we visited The Egyptian Museum, the largest museum containing countless precious artifacts from Ancient Egypt. It's impossible to see the entire museum in a day so we simply saw all of the highlights including the famous Tutankhamen mask and seeing the royal mummy of Ramses II. Unfortunately pictures aren't allowed inside the museum, but we got a picture outside:
We also got a chance to see a papyrus demonstration and how papyrus paper, made from the -papyrus-indigenous to Northern Egypt, is made. The paper made out of papyrus is actually very durable. I got a chance to purchase papyrus and have my name written in hieroglyphics inside a cartouche-a French word to describe how the Egyptian rulers names were always inscribed inside an oval-like shape in temples. Papyrus is used in temples to symbolize the North of Egypt whereas the lotus flower symbolizes the South of Egypt. We saw a lot of these images in later temples that we visited because the unification of Northern and Southern Egypt was an important event in the history of the ancient country.
After a busy day we had a chance to drink Egyptian tea at a local coffee shop with our guide. We asked him numerous questions about the culture and it was great fun sitting down in the midst of an everyday scene in Cairo. Egyptian tea is drunk and offered everywhere we went. It's like normal Lipton tea back at home but when it's in season, mint leaves are also added giving the tea an interesting taste. As soon as I got back to Malta I bought mint leaves and now I drink it with my tea all the time. The Egyptians also like to put a great deal of sugar in their tea as well. The tea is served hot, surprising in a very hot climate.
At night we finally boarded the sleeping train at the Cairo train station. I had never been on a sleeping train before and it was an experience I'll definitely remember. It was more like the sleepless train. I was impressed (I'm actually very easily impressed) by the small compartments, the bunk bed, and the small sink. The sleeping train is the best mode of transportation between the cities for tourists and for Egypt in general. We were served dinner and breakfast. That night I didn't get any sleep at all because of the constant stopping of the train. We arrived at Luxor at around 8 in the morning, tired and sore from the train.
Our train dinner-I was excited about the Rice!
Sleeping on the train...or trying to, anyway
As soon as we got off the train, we went off to visit the Colossi of Menmon, remnants of Amenhotep III and the massive temple that was supposed to be there.
Small, right?
Next we visited the Temple of Hatshepsut, or, as our tour guide told us to say-"Hot Chicken Soup" if we couldn't pronounce it. Restoration of the temple took about 40 years starting from 1964-2004. I was really excited to visit the temple before arriving in Egypt. It has three terraces and it was originally built for one of the famous female pharaoh’s Hatshepsut. However, a great deal of Hatshepsut's temples and buildings were destroyed by her stepson, Thutmosis III for stealing his throne. The Temple has one of the best preserved scenes and colors.
Here's a picture of one of the beautifully preserved Egyptian art in the temple
Behind the columns!
In front of the top terrace-this is after like 5 hours of sleep
I still cannot believe how all of the Pharaohs were treated as gods. These temples weren't built posthumously, but were actually built by the Pharaohs themselves. Imagine building a temple dedicated to yourself-now that's something that just unheard of. The "Temple of Peaches" actually doesn't sound that bad....hmmm.....
Near the Temple is the Valley of the Kings where several pharaohs were buried during the New Kingdom. There are 63 tombs discovered so far and there is still some excavation going on in the area. This is the site where Tutankhamen's tomb was discovered, intact from any robbers. These pharaohs were buried in tombs as opposed to pyramids because it was less easy for thieves to find and steal from. We were able to visit three tombs: Ramses I, IV, IX and of course, Tutankhamen-which we had to pay extra for. Tutankhamen's tomb was a great deal smaller because it was built hastily. Tutankhamen was only a child when he was pharaoh and was only famous posthumously because of his intact tomb.
In front of the tombs. They were as hot as the pyramids inside but it was cooler because some of them had hieroglyphics on the wall and one of them had the entire illustrated Book of the Dead. Ramses IV was actually vandalized by the Coptic Christians I mentioned before. You can see the ancient graffiti and Christian symbols on the walls. We saw a lot of these signs in several temples throughout Egypt.
After lunch, we visited Karnak Temple the largest temple built for religious purposes in the world. Some of it is lost but a lot of it is intact, especially the largest columns and obelisks in Egypt.
Big columns!
Obelisk
Look at these beautiful carvings
The scarab, a type of beetle, is a good luck symbol of Egypt. We walked around this scarab statue 3 times for good luck.
This is another example of the Christian influence in Egypt-see how the stone was cut to make the sign of the cross?
After Karnak Temple, we visited Luxor Temple:
On the back of these massive statues you can see the cartouches (in the middle-the oval like shape) containing the name of the pharaoh ruling at the time it was built.
So many temples, so little time! Anyway, after a packed day in Luxor, we boarded our Cruise ship on the Nile, which was our "hotel" for the next three days. After dinner, there was entertainment on the boat including a belly dancer who was fun to watch. Then we braved the streets of Luxor at night and went shopping. Haggling, or bargaining, is very much a part of everyday life in Egypt. I'm not very successful in making a bargain-I usually back down easily or agree to pay the first haggled price. Note to all future Egyptian tourists: The shopping in Luxor is great, so do all of your souvenir shopping there!
The beautiful view of the sunset on our ship
Brittany and I drinking Egyptian tea before we went shopping in Luxor
There are more than 200 cruises on the Nile and ours was pretty sweet. What was surprising about our 3rd day in Egypt was that it was cloudy and rainy! It NEVER rains in Luxor and it did the day we visited which was surreal. Thank goodness because the sun and heat was almost unbearable the days after Luxor. We took a boat on the Nile traveling south to Aswan, almost near the border to Sudan. The difference in temperature between Aswan and Cairo was apparent. It's a great deal hotter in Aswan than it is in Cairo.
The next day we simply spent on our cruise ship sailing down to Edfu. It was nice to spend the day resting after our sleepless night on the train. The ship had 4 decks including a sundeck complete with a pool and tent. Three meals were provided all day and they were superb, although there wasn't a great deal of cultural food. We weren't the only ones on the boat; there were several groups from Germany who were traveling with us.
In front of our cruise
The view of the beautiful Nile River
The beautiful staircase inside our boat-it reminded me of the movie Titanic
There are a series of lochs that boats have to pass to travel up and down the Nile. It regulates the level of the Nile to ensure safety from flooding and to make sure the water is kept at a constant level. It was fascinating watching our cruise ship go into a tiny corridor to get past the loch.
The cleaners of our cruise ship liked to show off their towel art-we got a lotus on the first day and this on the second day.
My own personal chef! He cooked our omelet’s every morning-it made me miss the omelet’s made in the SPC cafeteria.
Seems like paradise, right? I highly enjoyed the cruise ship even though in the back of my mind I was thinking of environmental consequences and the fact that I hadn't exercised at all after eating three square meals that day including tea time.
After an entire day of cruising up the Nile, we woke up early the next day to visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu. Horus is the Egyptian falcon god of the sky. It's the most visited temple in Egypt-there were so many tourists! It's also one of the most complete temples. It was built during the Ptolemaic period and it's the second largest temple after Karnak. When the Romans occupied Egypt, they did not want to tamper with the temples, so there are some remaining Roman ruins outside of the temple. Ancient Egypt was first ruled by the Pharaohs, and then occupied by the Romans and then later the Greeks. Egypt was under the rule of non-Egyptians for a long period from 300 BC-about 1960 AD.
In front of one of the most complete falcon statues in front of the temple. It's wearing the double crown symbolizing the unity of North and Southern Egypt.
One of the huge carvings on the front of the temple
There are Egyptian guards like this that sit in every temple to ensure that the tourists do not tamper with the ruins
After visiting the Temple of Horus we went back to the boat and it set sail for Kom Ombo where we visited the Temple of Kom Ombo. I think at this point we were sick and tired of seeing several temples; they kind of blended all together in my mind after a period of time.
This picture depicts the rudimentary surgical tools use by the Egyptians for childbirth-looks painful, right?
Sooo excited to be in another temple....with hieroglyphics...and columns...but wait, no obelisks, shock!
After visiting to Kom Ombo we travelled to our final destination: Aswan. At Aswan we visited the High Dam, constructed in the 1960s in collaboration with the Soviet Union against a great deal of opposition. The High Dam is up to 110 meters high and created the largest manmade lake: Lake Nasser. There are some positive aspects to the Dam such as the regulation of the flooding of the Nile, electricity, and other things. However, there is also a great deal of negative aspects such as the inability of natural silt to reach the northern part of the Nile. Like I mentioned before, there isn't a great deal of wildlife present north of the Dam anymore and it's not advised to swim in the Nile north of Luxor. Also, creating the Dam flooded several important areas of Egypt including the Nubian lands, a separate entity in Ancient Egypt. Several temples also had to be excavated and moved to higher ground to preserve it and ensure that it was not covered by water.
On the dam with the view of Lake Nasser behind us
This monument was erected after the High Dam was completed to celebrate the union between the Soviet Union and Egypt in funding and creating the dam
This was inside the monument, cool, eh?
After visiting the Dam, we went to the last temple of our trip: The Temple of Philae. Philae is a tiny island near the Dam and we had to travel to it by boat. It's one of the most recently built temples of Egypt and probably the coolest one we saw so far. It was also used as a Coptic church by the Christians, observed by the altar installed inside the temple itself.
We really did like this temple
Like an Egyptian totem pole
Afterwards we visited the Unfinished Obelisk. The date of the unfinished obelisk is unknown because of the lack of marking around the area but visitors can observe how obelisks were built and carved out of the rock. After seeing several obelisks in temples, it was fascinating to see the workmanship and process of creating a huge piece of art. The Unfinished Obelisk would have been the largest obelisk in Egypt if it was actually built but unfortunately there were major cracks that formed in the early stages of carving it so workers abandoned it and it's been preserved ever since. The entire place is completely composed up of the rich Egyptian pink granite that composes many of the temples and is still used as popular stone for modern kitchens.
Can you recognize the shape of the Obelisk?
Many of what historians and archaeologists know about Egyptian history about the temples today is read from the hieroglyphics. After the discovery of the Rosetta stone and the mystery of the language of the hieroglyphics were unlocked, there was a flood of knowledge added to the puzzle of Ancient Egypt. The temples and art are also classified by the Pharaohs. Pharaohs each had a unique and different style of sculpture and art which is easy to distinguish when a certain artifact was made and under what rule. Much of what was written in Ancient Egypt was dated under a specific Pharaoh and not by a calendar year.
Before boarding the train from Aswan back to Cairo, we had the opportunity to go on a felucca ride. A felucca is a sailboat that most Egyptians use on the Nile. It was different from the cruise ship and it felt a lot more natural and better, actually.
What a felucca looks lke
A fearless tourist-going where no tourist has gone before...dun dun DUN!
After our felucca ride, we went on the sleeping train (again) but this time I got a good night's rest on the train and we arrived back in Cairo around 9 in the morning.
Showing off all of our admission tickets to temples from the entire week on the sleeper train. I have a lot of scrapbooking to do when I get back....
That day was our last day of sightseeing in Egypt. We went back to the hotel where we first stayed in and met our next tour guide there. Our tour guide was female this time and she offered us a great deal of insight into the Egyptian culture our male tour guides couldn't give us before. I believe that tourism is one of the markets that promote gender-equality in terms of availability of jobs and salaries for women.
On the last day I visited a mosque for the first time. Throughout our trip we heard the call for prayer five times a day: at daybreak, noon, mid-afternoon and sunset. I've never been in a Muslim country before-I had only read about Islam in my theology course freshman year and in retrospect I'm glad I had a little knowledge about it. Egypt was actually one of the first areas where Christianity was accepted and it flourished there for a time until the influence of Islam and Mohammed spread throughout the area. However, there are still Coptic churches that form another branch of Christianity. Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to visit a Coptic church but the mosque was beautiful. It was quite interesting to see all three religions: the Ancient Gods, Islam, and Christianity, all present in one country. It was fascinating learning about each of the different Egyptian gods and their different forms and what they represented. I really should brush up on my hieroglypics the next time I visit Egypt....
The Citadel was occupied by Egypt's rulers for 700 years, first built in 1176 and refined until Mohamed Ali in the 19th century. It was meant to withstand invasion from outsiders. Inside the mosque which is located inside the Citadel, we had to take our shoes off and I had to wear a green robe to cover myself from head to toe. It was fascinating to be inside this structure. The entire floor was carpeted and on the ceiling there were Arabic passages dedicated to the Koran and the Prophet Mohammed. I couldn't believe how massive it was and we could hear our echo from the ceiling.
The domes of the Mosque
Inside the mosque-notice our fashionable attire!
Soo beautiful
The Citadel also had an amazing view of Cairo and we could also see the pyramids. Our tour guide pointed out the different structures of the city. In the middle, one of the newest parts of the city is primarily inhabited by young people for a reasonable price which is good for students. I kind of wish we had that in NYC....
After visiting the Citadel we did our last shopping trip to the Khan Al-Khalili Bazaar where the famous Midaq Alley is located. For the last time we were heckled by touts and bargaining was still a struggle for me. Afterwards we finally had the chance to eat real Egyptian food called kofta and hummus with pita which was a lot tastier than back home. We spent the rest of our day in the hotel, reminiscing about our wonderful trip and resting before our flight back to Malta.
This is me getting henna done on my arm-it was so cool! The woman drew it so fast and flawlessly. Henna only lasts for about a week, mine is entirely gone by now.
Showing off our henna-even our tour guide had it done!
It was interesting because I purposely packed clothes that covered my shoulders and my knees for the entire trip because I knew that although Egypt is very hot, the culture is still very conservative, especially when it comes to women (and dress). Egyptian men would wear long cloth dresses called gallabias and women would be covered from head to toe only revealing their faces. I was lucky that I borrowed my friend's scarf which I wore almost every day. I could almost pass as an Egyptian because of my skin tone. Too bad my touristy wardrobe and sneakers gave me away. Sometimes I wore the scarf like the Egyptian women wore it, over their entire head to keep cool under the sun and to minimize my uneasiness. On American and European standards, my dress was conservative but I didn't think it was conservative enough in Egypt. I didn't want to be disrespectful towards the culture. I wore the scarf as well in order to stay away from over-friendly men who would harass many female tourists, especially if they're alone or aren't accompanied by males. Part of it is because their idea of Western women comes from movies. Women are stereotypically seen as "easy." It was actually very funny because I knew about this beforehand, so I wore we all wore fake wedding rings on our left hands in order to prevent unwanted attention (but we still got a lot of attention anyway).
We hardly saw women outside of Cairo simply walking around. As a result of the conservative and Muslim influence, women are meant to stay inside the house away from the public view. It was disconcerting not seeing women workers whenever we travelled around Egypt and we were happy to finally have a female tour guide on the last day in Cairo. Even though women have yet to gain equality even in developed countries, I am thankful to be living under different circumstances where women have the freedom to make choices about their life and career and are not always forced to stay inside the home. But then again cultural and religious differences must always be taken into account. I am content with the lifestyle I lead in America and here in Europe.
Visiting Egypt was beautiful and I had an amazing time and now have memories of a lifetime but I couldn't help but feel guilty or helpless because of the amount of poverty I witnessed. Even the environment of Egypt is at a risk with hundreds of cruise ships simply for tourism pollutes the Nile. The Nile above Aswan Dam has little of the wildlife that was there before. Little children would try to sell us souvenirs and it was hard to turn the other cheek to them knowing that many of them had little prospects for a better future. Even Cairo is one of the most polluted cities in the world, famous for its black smog that is very visible. The economy of Egypt is heavily dependent on tourism and without it; many of the population would be jobless. Witnessing these hardships and the harsh environmental practices of the country pushes me to try to help the community and give back to the environment. It has definitely been an eye opening experience, similar to my spring break in Kentucky last year. I just hope that I can make a bit of a difference in the future, and even now.
Returning back to Malta was definitely a breath of fresh air. We no longer had to worry about brushing our teeth with bottled water, getting unwanted attention from men, and bargaining for everything we bought. A few days after Egypt my stomach felt queasy but I'm feeling 100% better now. I think almost every tourist that visits Egypt gets sick in some sort of way. So warning to future Egyptian tourists: be aware of health issues.
This trip made me realize how grateful I am for certain things at home and also opened my eyes to the cultural and religious differences of the world. I am proud to say that I have finally been to Africa, visited the Land of the Pyramids, rode camels in front of them as well, and went up the Nile. The next time I visit Egypt I want to go to Alexandria; them climb Mt. Sinai, and then travel to either the neighboring countries of Jordan or Israel. God willing, or "in sha'Allah" as the Egyptians would say, I can visit this country again. The next time I'll know what to expect. Travelling this past semester has taught me a so much about history and culture of all of these countries.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought about visiting Egypt. It didn't even cross my mind that I could visit Egypt when I came to Malta. I am so thankful for all of the wonderful experiences I've had travelling so far and I hope to continue to travel in the future.
Chocran, which is thank you, in Egyptian, for reading about my long Egypt trip. I'm currently studying for finals which are starting on Monday and I'm very very nervous because I have 6 exams! For now, it's back to work and I do NOT want to think of goodbyes and leaving Malta just yet....
So from all of my past blog entries it seems like I've been on a never ending vacation since I arrived in Malta. NOT TRUE-well, partly anyway. Sure, I've been traveling a great deal around Europe (and next week Egypt!) but I'm also studying here and taking several courses.
On clear days the University has a beautiful view of Valletta. I like to spend the time between classes out on the benches enjoying the sun and the view.
Read on and take a small glimpse into my routine as an Exchange student.....
I chose to spend my SPC semester abroad at the University of Malta because:
1) It was close to Italy
2) Courses were taught in English
3) The University had a good History program
4) An island...in the middle of the Mediterranean...warm weather-what's not to like?
Currently I'm taking 9 courses:
Medieval Europe
Modern Western Europe
Aspects of the Parish in 18th Century Malta
Chaucer and Medieval Literature
Children's Literature
Theories of Literature: Gender and Power
Scriptures of the Mediterranean
Feminism and Anthropology
Sculpture I
Art and Architecture in Early Renaissance Italy
The reason why I'm taking so many classes is because unlike the US, all of these classes only meet once a week for one or two hours. We only get graded on one test-the final. Sometimes there's a separate assignment like a presentation but most of my classes simply have one test at the end of the semester. Finals start in the last week of May until mid-June. Many of the classes here are worth only 2 or 4 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) which amounts to 1 or 2 SPC credits. That's the reason why I'm taking double the usual amount of classes here. So in total I'm taking 30 ECTS which would transfer to 15 credits back at SPC.
On to my life.
As part of the ISEP (International Student Exchange Program) I get room and board at the University Residence including a meal plan to buy my groceries. I live in an apartment with 12 other girls. I share a room with another person, my Japanese roommate Ikue and the other girls come from Italy, France, and Holland. Everyone at the University Residence are international students on an exchange program similar to me. Many of the Maltese students still live with their parents while they study at the University. In fact, the Maltese students don't even have to pay to study at the University-they actually get paid to study. They receive a monthly stipend from the government and they can spend it as they wish-on books, school supplies, clothes, accessories, etc. It's so much fun living at the Residence just meeting new friends from around the world, learning bad words in other languages, chilling out by the pool, sunbathing, and having a blast.
This is the first landmark I saw when I took my first taxi ride to Lija where the Residence is located. We call it the "Birthday Cake" and we pass it every time we go back to the Residence. It's actually called Belveder Tower.
Lija is about five minutes away from the University and 15 minutes away from Valletta, the capital of Malta. The bus is the main form of transportation here in Malta and how we get around the island. The buses are definitely one of the main images I will always think of when I think of Malta. Many of them are old fashioned while there are some modern ones. Note to all tourists: All busses lead to Valletta, the capital. They're 47 cents each way so it's very cheap to travel around. Here in Malta they drive on the left side of the road instead of the right so the first few weeks I wasn't used to it. I was always afraid of crossing the street in fear that I was looking the wrong way and would get hit by a car. The Maltese people use their cars to drive everywhere. Almost all of the streets are very narrow and the sidewalks are even narrower.
Me chilling by the pool at the University Residence
The weather usually isn't as beautiful as this. For the past couple of weekend it's been cloudy and rainy but whenever the sun is out so many students come out to sunbathe and study or listen to music. The pool is usually too cold to go swim in but some just go in for a few minutes to cool off and then lay out in the sun.
Getting on the University Residence bus.
There is a courtesy shuttle that takes trips every hour from the Residence to the University. This is how I go back and forth from the Residence-sometimes I have to take the bus as early as 7:30 AM to get to my 8 o'clock lecture.
This is the view of the University as I get dropped off by the shuttle. This building is called Gateway Building and is by the main entrance of the University. My first week here I got lost so many times on campus I felt like a foolish freshman all over again.
This is my Art History classroom (can you tell I'm trying to keep a straight face?) Most of the classes are small with around 20-25 students. There are international students in most of my classes but I've gotten to meet some Maltese students as well.
Studying in the library. The library here is pretty big with silent and group study areas. I spend most of my time here studying because I can't concentrate at the Residence where it's very loud and distracting. I've prepared two presentations here and written a paper. It's also where the internet is very fast and where I upload all of my pictures on facebook. Unfortunately the internet at the Residence is very slow and inefficient so I take my laptop on campus a lot.
One of my favorite classes here is Sculpture I. The first three weeks we worked with clay and created a head, now we're sculpting with Maltese limestone. Can you guess what I'm making? A PEACOCK! of course....it actually looks very dismal right now. I'm hoping that it will turn out alright in the end. Nobody really understands my Saint Peter's College spirit here but I'm sure everyone back home does (can you tell I miss SPC?)
When the day is done I take the shuttle back to the Residence to cook dinner, go food shopping, or see what everyone else is doing. All of the students here shop at the local supermarket, Smart, which is only a ten minute walk away. We're actually quite spoiled because there are very few supermarkets in Malta. Instead, many Maltese do their shopping at mini grocers, go to the butcher to get their meat cut freshed, and get their fruits and vegetables at local fruit stands that are set up every so often on all of the main streets. There aren't many malls here either. Most of our clothes shopping we do in Valletta, the capital, or in Sliema, where there are many stores, mainly built for the tourists who visit Malta and want to shop. I've spent way too much money shopping for clothes here. There are several shops that aren't in America such as Pull & Bear (from Spain), Peacocks (from England), Stradivarius, and Bershka. I'm going to miss all of these European stores....
Me in front of Smart. I use my SPC Goes Green shopping bag all the time! The Malta government just passed a law that stores have to charge 18 cents per plastic bag to minimize the waste and try to become environment friendly.
In Malta AND at home I'm always so short....
Look at all the NUTELLA!! (I'm a little bit obsessed with Nutella since I first ate it here)
They also give free samples sometimes-I love cooking with Uncle Ben's Chicken Curry sauce.
It's funny because I'm so spoiled when I'm at home or at school because my mom cooks for me or there's the cafeteria to rely on. Here, I mostly cook for myself and I've been missing Filipino food like crazy. Studying abroad (similar to like being at college) isn't just about studying but also about creating your own lifestyle and becoming more independent with your family halfway across the globe. The last summer I spent in Washington, D.C. was a good time to prepare for my semester abroad. Ironically I've learned how to cook Filipino food here in Malta than when I'm at home. I have my family send the spices and recipes to me here and I cook them about every week. My roommates love trying Filipino food. I've also tried other types of recipes here as well. There are so many different ethnic foods that are cooked here in the Residence. I've had plenty of authentic Japanese food cooked by my roommate, Polish food, and of course Italian food. I don't have as much time to cook when I'm at Saint Peter's because I'm busy all of the time. When I'm back home I want to cook for myself more. I really enjoy doing it! Baking is my favorite though. This past semester I've baked several cookies, an oreo cake, two apple pies, and made chocolate fondue. I'm trying to become more creative with my cooking and baking. Before I hated to cook and bake and now I love it!
My flatmate, Juliette (from Holland) and I baking an Oreo Pie-notice my Malta apron!
In front of the 24-hour bakery by the Residence. Here the bread is SO cheap and made fresh, you can smell the bread baking in the oven. I'm holding Maltese bread here which I eat all the time. It's very similar to sourdough bread.
Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man, bake me a cake as fast as you can...look at all that dough about to be put into the oven. It's so hot inside the bakery when they're baking.
At the fruit stand where the lady knows me and gives me discounts on fruits and vegetables sometimes. The fruit at the stands are usually a lot cheaper than at the supermarket. I love me some fruit!
I'm eating a pastizzi here-a flaky pastry with ricotta cheese inside. It's Maltese food that's very cheap-only about 60 cents-and everybody here loves them.
It's actually quite interesting hearing what everyone's perception of what America is like and also observe how cultures can be so different. My friend Sam from England bases his image of New Jersey strictly from the Sopranos. The Italians eat at around 9 PM every night so they think I'm weird for cooking dinner at 5 PM which is the norm in the US. I like to eat eggs for breakfast while the Italians only drink coffee. The Canadians hate being called American (we already knew that). There are so many little cultural things that I don't even notice in America but become obvious here in another country.
There are also many things in America that I can buy that I take for granted-like Reese's peanut butter cups, good peanut butter, Dunkin' Donuts, and Chinese takeout just to name a few things. But I'm sure when I go back to America I'm going to miss more things that I can't get there such as Kinder bars (made by the same company that makes Ferrero Rochers), Aero chocolate (so good), and many European brands that aren't sold in the US. I told all of my friends that they have to mail me snacks from Europe while I'm in America because I'll be craving for them all the time. I'm glad America at least has Nutella....
All differences put aside, almost everybody here gets along with each other. My flatmates are all great and there hasn't been any drama (unlike last summer when I shared a luxurious apartment with 3 other Americans and there was drama galore).
So, now that we've got the studying part of my life here finished, let's go on to what I did over the second week of my Easter break. The weather in Malta was actually rainy and chilly half the time so we spent our time baking apple pie, playing card games, watching movies, and just relaxing in our apartments. The one thing we all miss is a common room with a couch. There's only a kitchen area in our apartment and the pool outside, there's really nowhere to just sit down, watch a movie or hang out. I can't wait to have a couch again when I go back home.
On the last Friday of our break, I went biking on the small island of Gozo with my Dutch friends. Apparently biking, or cycling, is a very important part of life in the Netherlands. They cycle everywhere, there are parks and places made for cycling, and there are no hills or inclines so it's easy to cycle around. I sort of wish we could be the same in America. I haven't cycled since I got my Driver's License so getting on a bike in Malta when (a) they drive on the left side of the road (b) the roads are very narrow and sometimes there aren't any sidewalks (c) wearing no helmet because apparently nobody in Europe does except the Germans was very, very scary...for the first couple of minutes. I got used to biking after a while and it was actually quite fun. One of the things I want to do when I get back to America is bike more because it really is a good type of exercise while having fun. Anyway, we biked around the entire island. Gozo is very small that all the sites can be seen in one day.
This is called the Azure window. Isn't it beautiful? In front of the Azure window is the Blue Hole-a hot spot for divers where they have amazing views of the window from underneath the water and observe reefs and plant life. While we were there we actually saw 6 divers! Needless to say the view was breathtaking, the water was clear and blue as always and I couldn't believe I was there to enjoy it.
Breathtaking
On the rocks by Azure window you can actually see some fossils of shells popping up from the erosions. There's also a small island off the coast called "Fungus Rock" that the Knights of St. John (who commanded from Malta for a long time) picked a certain type of fungus only grown there with healing effects.
The bikes we rented were only 5 Euro-a good, cheap workout!
and of course there's always time for the beach and gelati!
Next week I leave for Egypt and I can't wait to show pictures the next time I blog. Stay tuned!
I'm finally back from Easter break! I spent 11 days in Italy and the rest of the break relaxing around Malta. The past few days I have eaten at the base of the Colosseum in Rome, went on a gondola ride in Venice, turned 21, saw David by Michelangelo (and the Sistine Chapel as well), said hello to the Pope, celebrated Easter, and even more. I can't believe how lucky I am to be able to see all of the things I've read about in history and art books.
I left for Malta April 4 and met my family in Rome where we met our tour guide at the hotel we were staying. We booked a tour company to see the best that Italy could offer. The best part about it was that we didn't have to plan anything, we just had to sit and enjoy the view. All of our hotels, tours, and events were pre-booked way ahead of time. We also met and got to know 29 other tourists who were on the same tour as we were. They were all very lovely people. Most of them were from North America but there was a couple from Australia, Sri Lanka, and a few others from New Zealand and Singapore. We had beautiful weather all the 11 days we were there. Springtime in Italy is beautiful with wild poppies, wisteria, and other flowers blooming. I couldn't ask for better weather or views.
My brother and I outside of the bus we rode for the next 11 days-it was so spacious inside!
The next day we spent in Rome where we had a tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, got to see Saint Peter's Square and proceeded to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain. Rome is like a history book come alive and I didn't want to stop reading! I was amazed at how so many people still lived on this ancient site where more than 1/2 of the city are built on ancient ruins and temples. Mussolini himself covered 1/3 of the Roman forum with one of the buildings he built during his rule. A term that our tour guide, Debra, used a lot to describe Rome was "Roman Recycling" where some of the foundations of buildings and other structures are built on top of old and ancient foundations. It was surreal seeing the contrast between the modern world and the ancient world that still remained within the city.
My family and I in front of the Roman Colosseum (If you're wondering what those blue tooth-looking things are on our ears-they are headphones that the tour guides used throughout the week so we could all hear what they were saying over the crowd and other tourists)
This was taken in Saint Peter's Square after the Pope's blessing. When we visited it was Palm Sunday and instead of distributing palms, in Italy olive branches are given out. We got a chance to get some blessed olive branches. This is where I saw the Pope! There were so many people in the Square. The Vatican is actually its own country so it has it's own different post system as well.
This is in the Piazza San Navona where there are several cafes and the beautiful Fountain of the Four Rivers is located. We stopped to have some delicious gelati (Italian for ice cream).
This is my brother and I in front of the Pantheon. It's actually a church and it's famous for its dome with a hole in the middle that lets sunlight (and rain) in. The first king of Italy, King Victor Emmanuel II is buried there, as well as Raphael, one of the painters of Saint Peter's Basilica. The dome itself was amazing and one of the coolest sites to see in Rome.
The Trevi Fountain where I flipped a coin backward for good luck!
Almost all of these famous Roman sites are close to each other. My family and I walked from Saint Peter's Basilica to the Trevi Fountain. On the way we also saw Castle D'Angelo, a fortress castle where the Pope used to reside in times of war and conflict. On the way there were so many shops and I bought several souvenirs and postcards. The weather was beautiful and there were so many tourists already.
That night was the unfortunate earthquake in L'Aquila, a town located in the center of Italy. I woke up at around 3 or 4 in the morning to my bed and everything around me moving. It honestly felt like someone was shaking me awake. Rome only felt half of what L'Aquila felt and thank goodness nobody was hurt. Touring around Italy I could see the importance of a small, medieval town like L'Aquila. So many precious buildings, architecture, and art have been damaged throughout the country due to natural disasters like earthquakes. I especially pray for everyone who was affected by the earthquake.
The next day we got to go into the Vatican Museum, see the Sistine Chapel, and Saint Peter's Basilica. Saint Peter's Basilica is the largest basilica and has the largest dome in the world. It can house 60,000 people. Many popes are buried there including Saint Peter himself. In the Vatican museum we got to walk through the corridor connecting the buildings which the Popes used. Now it's simply a museum that tourists can walk through. There are several series of corridors-corridors of sculptures, tapestries, geographical maps of Italy made out of mosaics. Before we went inside the Basilica we saw the Sistine Chapel and I got to feast my eyes on the Creation of David by Michelangelo. Personally, I really liked "The Last Judgment" a lot more and I liked the story behind it. I was amazed at how much work Michelangelo did. He painted upright for 15 straight hours for 4 years. I recommend watching the movie "The Agony and the Ecstasy" which shows the pain and obstacles Michelangelo had to endure while creating the Sistine Chapel.
The Sistine Chapel was recently renovated through a special technique developed by Japanese scientists. It allows for dirt to come off of these precious paintings without ruining the work itself. A wealthy Japanese commissioned the cleaning of the Sistine Chapel and owns all of the rights and images to the chapel. This is the reason why we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the Chapel because of this copyright.
Inside Saint Peter's Basilica-I got to rub the foot of the sculpture of Saint Peter for good luck!
After visiting the Vatican Museum, we drove about two hours to Assisi located in the region of Umbria where Perugia is the capital. Assisi is where Saint Francis grew up and first started his mission and the Franciscan order. We got to see the church he first started preaching in and the beautiful basilica that was comissioned by the Pope. Hundreds of Franciscans are there to contemplate and give their service in the area where their founding father first started preaching. Assisi was the most peaceful place that we visited and it was my father's favorite. The basilica was beautiful and it actually had paintings of the artist, Cimabue, that I recently gave a presentation on in my Art History class. It was fascinating seeing all of the art and architecture that I just learned in my classes here in Malta. It definitely made the subject come alive and motivate me to study harder.
Our hotel was literally 70 meters away from the basilica itself. The town of Assisi is built on a hill and in medieval times it was considered a defensive standpoint so that the town could defend itself from neighboring city states. There was constant war between the cities and towns throughout Italy.
This is a statue of Saint Francis right outside of the basilica. You can see the beautiful view of the Umbrian countryside from the hilltop of Assisi.
I met one of my Italian friends, Mario, who is also studying at the University of Malta. He lives in Perugia which is only about 20 min. away. It was so cool seeing my friends in their home country.
After spending one night in Assisi, we drove up north and spent only one night in Venice. Venice, or Venezia, is built on a huge marshland and there are two main areas. The entire city is made up of hundreds of island each connected by footbridges. Cars do not exist in Venice, instead, only boats. Everything you could think of is a boat. The taxi is a boat, the public transportation is a boat, the garbage truck is a boat, even a hearse is a boat. The whole city depends upon the boats and almost everything is more expensive because of the extra cost of shipping from the mainland.
We were lucky enough to actually stay in a hotel located in Venice and not on the maesta, or the mainland. The first thing we did when we arrived in Venice was go on a gondola ride! It was amazing and so beautiful. We got to see the narrow corridors and facades of houses from the boats and our gondolier even sang (I think it was because he just got married).
After the gondola ride, we had the chance to see a glass demonstration. Venetian glass is very expensive and very rare since there are only 15 glass masters who still work in Venice. We walked around beautiful St. Mark's Square in front of the basilica and the palace where the king used to reside. Venice was packed with tourists. I wish we had more time to see the beauty of Venice. I wanted to see the art and go inside St. Mark's basilica, but we really had no time. We got to walk around for a bit and I bought a Carnevale mask. Carnevale is huge in Venice and it's the hot spot of Italy during that time.
Before going to our hotel, we drank bellinis (a drink made up of champagne and peach juice) in front of a live band outside in St. Mark's Square. (yes, I'm wearing my Carnevale mask, and yes, it's peach colored)
Going underneath the Rialto bridge on the Grand Canal
The next day was my 21st birthday and we had to leave Venice (so sad) . We drove to Tuscany where Florence is the capital. Tuscan real estate prices have more than tripled ever since the book and later movie Under the Tuscan Sun came out. It's ridiculously expensive to buy a rundown non functional farm house and renovate it to a beautiful house. As much as I would love to live in Italy, it would not be in Tuscany. However the landscape is beautiful.
We stopped by for lunch at a local vineyard, Fattoria il Poggio, where our tour guide knew the cook and asked her to make home made pasta. I think the best meal I had in Italy was here where we got to see the vineyard (the grapes weren't growing yet) and see the olive presses and how they made olive oil. We were served sun dried tomatoes, bruschetta, and salami for starters. Then we had the amazing home made pasta. We also had six bottles of wine on each table and got to learn and taste the different kinds of wine made in Italy. At the end of the dinner, they surprised me with a birthday cake and song. I felt to special!
How fitting that it was my 21st Birthday. I think the reason why I fell in love with Italy so much was because all the food was so good!
Right outside the vineyard (When I go to Italy, I will definitely make plans to come back here)
After lunch, we headed off to Pisa to see the famous leaning tower. We only had an hour there so I didn't get a chance to see the church and the baptistry. Instead we used up our time taking the cliche tourist pictures. They were hilarious to pose for...
Needless to say, my birthday was amazing. Later on that evening, we ate dinner at our hotel and I had another birthday cake that was a lot bigger and I could share it with the rest of my fellow tourists. It felt like I was celebrating my birthday every day that we were there because we did so much and it felt like an ongoing party.
The next day we drove to Florence, or Firenze, considered the birth place of the Italian language because of Dante. Firenze is so called after the flower, and the fleur de lis is the sign of the city. There is so much beautiful art and architecture from the Renaissance here. It was probably one of my favorite cities after Rome. While we were there we saw a leather demonstration (there is a lot of awesome shopping to do in Florence). We also saw the church of S. Croce, the beautiful dome of S. Maria Maggiore and of course, saw David by Michelangelo.
In front of one of the beautiful, colorful churches decorated in the Tuscan style
The beautiful dome of S. Maria Maggiore
During our free time we went to the museums and I had the chance to see more art pieces that I'm learning about in my art history course. Florence is a city of museums and we only had time to see the Bargello and the Museum of the Works of the Duomo. I think the best part of Firenze was seeing David and learning more about Michelangelo. Throughout the whole tour, I got to see 3 out of the 4 pietas that Michelangelo started. The first and most famous one was in Saint Peter's Basilica which Michelangelo sculpted when he was only 23! The last pieta that Michelangelo was working on when before he died is located in the Museum of the Works of the Duomo.
Showing my SPC spirit-there were peacock sculptures in the Bargello!
In front of the Founatin of Zeus which was commissioned by the Medicis to show their power against the Republic of Firenze (symbolized by the statue of David). The Medicis was a powerful family who ruled in Florence for a rocky 300 years (1400s-1700s).
The statue of David used to be in front of City Hall, this fortress-like building but it got moved into the Accademia building where there's always a huge line of people waiting to go inside and see David. Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures of the David but it was massive! I didn't realize how big it was and it really is the "perfect man." I don't know how he did it, but David is absolutely beautiful.
The next day we left Tuscany to the southern part of Italy to Sorrento where Naples, or Napoli is the capital. The temperature was a little bit warmer in the south and the atmosphere was definitely a lot warmer and friendlier. That day was Good Friday and my family and I witnessed a procession that was a little bit eery. The only participants in the procession were men and little boys in black clothing and pointed hoods. It was obviously to remember the Passion of Christ but it was a little bit frightening seeing the morbid costumes. All of the roads were blocked and the processions went on for hours.
It was also in Sorrento where we got to eat authentic margherita pizza and it was delicious. The next day we took a ferry to the island of Capri just off of the coast of Sorrento. It's a big vacation spot, especially for English tourists. Caesar himself visited Capri as a summer spot. Capri reminded me so much of Malta, except a smaller and more posh one. There was a lot of expensive shopping there but the landscape was beautiful, especially with all of the flowers blooming.
On our boat ride (we went through that!)
The beautiful wisteria plants that were in bloom throughout Italy (I'm planting one at my home back in the states as soon as I get a chance)
After Capri, we drove along the Amalfi coast where the road is literally on the edge of the cliffs. The road has hundreds of curves because it literally hugs the cliffs. It was a little bit scary but the view of the coast was spectacular. We visited the town of Positano where the houses are literally built on top of each other. It's located and built that way for protection purposes. Positano was protected by the mountains from internal forces. A little bit like Venice, Positano has very few cars. Indeed, it's actually quite expensive to have a car and there's literally no space to park. Instead the streets are simply sidewalks and stairs that connect the houses.
The beautiful view of the Amalfi coastline
I'm not lying when I say that the lemons grown around Sorrento are as huge as melons! Everything here in this peninsula is about lemons. There are lemon candies, lemon chocolate, and of course an alcoholic drink called limoncello. The lemon chocolate was delicious. The huge lemons only grow during the springtime and we were lucky to see them with our own eyes.
My brother and I on the Positano beach. The beach didn't have sand, instead it was made up of smooth rocks.
The view of Positano from the shoreline
Eating dinner at our five-star hotel back in Sorrento where our waiter was really friendly and the star system really does not mean the same thing as back in the States
After we visited Sorrento, we made the last few stops on our journey. Before heading back to Rome we stopped by Pompeii near Mount Vesuvius (which was huge). I've always read about Pompeii in my history textbooks, can recite the history of the town, destroyed in 79 A.D. blah blah blah. I knew about the history, but I never realized how massive the site was! You could spend days just walking down all of the streets of the deserted city. It was amazing and a little bit scary knowing that Mount Vesuvius could erupt at any time because it's still an active volcano. We learned a lot about the city, like how there was fast food on the main streets and we also visited a brothel with some erotic frescoes. (Nothing new, eh?). We also saw some of the bodies found in the city when it was excavated. The site was astounding and I really couldn't believe how preserved everything was.
On the stepping stones used to cross the street in ancient Pompeii-you could even see the rut marks from the wagons!
Pompeii was one of the last sites we visited before we went to Rome for our farewell dinner. I left for Malta the day after and my family left for the states. I had an amazing time with them in Italy and it was sad to leave them. When I arrived back in Malta about two hours later I was more homesick than I felt before when I first left home. I can't wait to see them again in June. My parents gave me the best birthday present-seeing me in Europe and visiting the most amazing sights of Italy.
After this trip I can appreciate the beautiful culture of Italy that truly extends throughout history and has seeped into many different cultures. I loved the food, the people, and the countryside. I plan to visit Italy again in the future. But for now, ciao!
Coming up next:
How I spent the rest of my Easter Break
A Day in the Life of an Exchange Student
and.......Egypt to come!!!!!!
It's almost the end of March and I've had the busiest month. I've had three presentations these past two weeks plus a trip to Sweden and my best friend got to visit me in Malta! Tomorrow is another national holiday for Malta, the Feast of St. Joseph so nobody has school. Easter Break starts on Thursday for me and I'm so excited because I'm leaving for Italy! My family is meeting me there and we're touring around the entire country for ten days. With all of my schoolwork done, I'm eagerly anticipating for the end of school. It's also been getting a lot warmer here in Malta and I can't wait to go to the beach soon.
Classes haven't been too hard. We've been meeting once a week and there's very little homework. I had a few presentations, though. I had one presentation in Art History on an Early Renaissance Italian painter named Cimabue, in Feminism and Anthropology I examined the contrast in women's fashion between the Gibson Girl and the Flapper and finally in Western European history I presented on the Italian Risorgimento. I think I did well on my presentations. Two of these presentations are the only criteria I get graded on the entire semester so I hope I got good grades.
Since I last blogged I've been able to explore more of the island. On the last week in February a few friends and I went to Kalkara where the Mediterranean Film Studio is located. The MFS has two of the largest water tanks in Europe and films like Troy and Gladiator get shot there to make it look as if the scene is filmed in the middle of the ocean when they're really on the water tanks. Unfortunately it wasn't open to the public but we got to see the tanks and watched the waves crash onto the rocks by the shore.
My friend Cassandra and I
Intense waves!
On March 1 and yesterday, March 29, the entire residence was invited to go on a hike along the coast of Malta. On the first hike we walked around 7 km from Popeye Village to Golden Bay Beach. Popeye Village is the set where the movie Popeye, starring Robin Williams, was filmed. The set was never taken down and now it's used as a tourist attraction. We walked the entire coast, over rocks and cliffs. It was really intense rock climbing but the view was absolutely beautiful. We ended at Golden Bay and I got to dip my feet into the chilly Mediterranean again. There were about 113 students who went on the hike and one of the people who works at the residence, Ray, was our guide. Ray is an endearing man in his fifties who knows all about the island and with his sense of humor is interesting to talk to.
Popeye Village
Our beautiful view
Rock Climbing
I'm lovin this
Flying At Golden Bay!
Yesterday, Ray took us on a second hike on the Dhingli Clfifs-the highest point in Malta. Although it was cloudy and a little bit rainy, the hike was gorgeous. We walked around 20 km and I'm was exhausted! The view was amazing, as always. I dont't think I could ever get tired of seeing the beautiful blue of the Mediterranean.
Dhingli Cliffs
With my lovely roommates threatening to push me off.....
On March 8 we celebrated Women's Day at the Residence. Women's Day is the day for all women and men are supposed to give them flowers. It's not celebrated in the US but it's big in the rest of Europe. I like to think of it as a day for single women since other women have Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Some of the Italian girls from Sardinia made home made pasta and we also baked a delicious pear cake. I wish this day was big in America.
Rolling the pasta into noodle shapes
On March 13-May 17 my best friend Casey from back home came to visit me in Malta on her spring break. I was so excited! Having a friend visit gives me an excuse to see all of the tourist spots in Malta that I haven't been able to visit yet. We packed in a lot of sites in the four days she was here. The weekend she visited was probably the best weather that we had in March. On the other weekends it was still chilly or rainy. We were definitely lucky that the weather cooperated for us.
On the first day I showed her Valletta, the capital of the island, where we had gelato and then later on at night we went to Paceville, the night club capital of the island. In Paceville there are tons of nightclubs and the drinking age is here in Malta is 18.
In Valletta
At a night club in Paceville
The next day, we visited the Hypogeum, this sacred burial site that was built before the pyramids in about 3000 BC and was discovered and excavated around the 1950s. It was discovered when a house was being built on top of the excavation site and now there's an entire foundation built on the Hypogeum to regulate the temperature and ensure that it's preserved. It's one of the most unique sites on the island of Malta. Only about 70 visitors can visit the Hypogeum to reduce the damage of the carbon dioxide emitted from tourists. So we had to buy tickets well in advance. It was so interesting learning about the ancient history of Malta, much of which is still unknown. The site was used to bury the people in mass graves and a place for sacrifices as well (not human sacrifices, though). After that, we visited the Tarxien Temples, a five minute walk away, which was a place used to make offerings. It was built in the same sort of style as the Hypogeum but it's still out in the open and not as fragile.
We couldn't take pictures inside the Hypogeum, but we took a lot of pictures at the Tarxien Temples
On the third day, I took Casey to the Sunday fish market in the fishing village of Marxaslokk. That was her absolute favorite part of the trip because we got to see the local fishing boats on the shore. We bought some cheap souvenirs and ate some seafood at a local restaurant. After Marxaslokk, we visited Blue Grotto, one of the most amazing views of Malta and the wonders of nature. We took a boat that took us into the sea caves and I didn't know the water could look so amazingly blue. I think that was my favorite part of the weekend. Close to the Blue Grotto is another temple site called Hagar Qim, similar to the Tarxien Temples.
With an old-fashioned (but still functional) Maltese bus
The wonders of nature: Blue Grotto
The water was so clear!
On the boat
The next day we visited a total of four cathedrals, one museum, and visited catacombs. We started out in Mdina, the Medieval city of Malta that was built by the Phoenicians. It's called the "Silent City" because it's entirely enclosed by a huge stone wall. It used to be a strategic point for armies because 3/4 of the island can be seen from the walls. People cannot drive their cars inside unless they live there and most of the residents are of the old Maltese nobility. Once enclosed in the walls of Mdina it truly is silent in contrast to the hustle and bustle of the rest of the island. It's one of my favorite towns of Malta and one of my travel books describes Mdina as "Malta at it's most photogenic." I agree wholeheartedly with that statement. Inside Mdina we walked around, visited the Cathedral Museum, and ate at one of the cafes there with an amazing view of the island. Casey ate her first pastizzi, this crumbly pastry filled with ricotta cheese, one of the local foods of Malta that everyone should try when they're on the island.
Entrance to Mdina
Mdina is famous for its hand blown glass
My Knight in Shining Armor
After Mdina, we went to Rabat, literally named as the "suburb" of Mdina. We visited St. Paul's Church, where there is a grotto built where St. Paul was meant to have stayed and preached on the island. St. Paul is the patron saint of the island because he was shipwrecked and converted the people to Christianity. There's a passage in the New Testament mentioning Malta in Acts of the Apostles: 23. After that, we went to St. Agatha's catacombs where St. Agatha stayed when she was in Malta. The catacombs were absolutely fascinating because there are frescoes painted on the wall in the 16th century and the bones excavated on the site still remain in their burial spot. St. Agatha's catacombs is also one of the only catacombs that remains intact because the Romans never really enforced their strict anti-Christian laws in Malta. There is still a circular "agape" table where families would eat. The ceilings are also low, not because the Maltese were short, but because people were supposed to bow their heads down in respect for the dead. Casey and I had never seen catacombs before and were really interested and impressed by them.
After that, we visited St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, one of the largest and most beautiful Cathedrals on Malta built by the Knights of St. John. In the Cathedral, two works by the famous artist Caravaggio, can be seen. The Cathedral has 8 chapels to signify the 8 main countries of the time that the Knights of St. John protected. The entire Cathedral is a palate of beautiful art, sculpture, and architecture. Everywhere you look there's a splash of color and richness. I want to attend mass there at least once before I leave Malta.
Inside St. John's Co-Cathedral
After a really quick lunch, we took the bus to Mosta where the Mosta Dome is. The Most Dome is the 3rd largest unsupported dome in Europe. It was so big! During WWII, a bomb was shot through the Dome where 300 people were having a prayer service. The bomb never went off and it was considered a great miracle. Malta experienced the brunt of WWII because it was a strategic point for the British in the Mediterranean Sea. Casey and I actually got the chance to hear mass inside the massive church and it was an amazing experience.
Mosta Dome
Malta is so rich in ancient history and has pride in it. Many of the places Casey and I visited were religious sites and I couldn't help but think that we were pilgrimmages, visiting the sites where saints walked and preached. I wish that my family could see this, especially my Dad, who is very religious and would love to see these sites. I was so sad when Casey had to leave but the next day I had two presentations and I left for Stockholm, Sweden!
Between March 18-March 22 I was in the Scandinavian country of Sweden. Eight of us went, including five Italians, one Polish, one English, and one American (me). We were definitely a diverse group and everywhere we went people would ask where we were from and amazed to find out that we were all friends from different countries. Stockholm was absolutely beautiful. Being in Malta for so long, you forget how big things can be. The architecture and facade of almost all of the buildings in Stockholm were unique and colorful. It was nothing like I've ever seen before. It didn't even feel like we were in the city because the air was so fresh and everything was clean. The public transportation is amazingly efficient and clean. However, everything was really expensive. The weather cooperated while we were there-it didn't rain or snow and it wasn't even too cold, although we had to bundle up a lot because we were used to the warm Maltese sun.
Most of the group on the steps of City Hall
Our hostel was located on the island of Lidingo, one of the nice parts of the city. Stockholm is the capital city of Sweden and is made up of tiny little islands that are connected by bridges. So we're always surrounded by water and every morning the water would freeze over. It was nice to be back in the cold weather.
Showing my Swedish pride
On the first day we walked around the city and visited City Hall. The next day we walked around Old Town where the Royal Palace is. Old Town was one of my absolute favorite places in Stockholm. The roads are still paved with cobblestones and it feels like a step back in time, walking around. We visited the Royal Palace, one of the largest, livable palaces in Europe. I was amazed by all of the granduer and wealth of the Swedish royal family. We also visited the treasury where we got to see some of the royal jewels. We spent our last night in Old Town where we found a Medieval pub where almost everyone was wearing period costumes and they served Medieval Swedish beer. People were also playing instruments and the atmosphere was very relaxed. We met two Swedish guys there who answered all of my questions about Sweden. I wish I knew more about Swedish history and the Royal family (It's on my TO DO list right now, actually).
Walking around Old Town
I love these buildings
Touristy picture inside a phonebooth
Watching the Swedish Royal Guard
We also visited the Nobel Museum. Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Peace Prize, was from Stockholm. He invented dynamite and had factories all over the world. When he died, in his will, most of his fortune went to the Nobel Peace Prize. He wrote down the criteria and information about the prize. I had never known the history and process of the Nobel Peace Prize and was fascinated. The museum had an exhibition on Freedom of the Press. It was interesting reading and seeing a museum that is not written from an American perspective. Every year the Nobel Peace Prize is given in Stockholm in an elaborate ceremony where the Royal Family attends and the prize winners all visit the museum and autograph a chair in the museum's cafe.
In front of Nobel Museum
On the last day we visited the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was a ship built around the 1620s by the Swedish King Gustav to fight Poland. Unfortunately the balance of the ship was incorrect and the ship sank on its maiden voyage in the harbor of Stockholm. The ship was found and excavated in the 1960s and it's fully restored today for everybody to see in the Museum. The ship was massive and the museum was one of the most interesting museums I've visited. I got to learn more about Swedish history. We read about the sailor's lives and the life of an average person in 17th century Stockholm.
Beautiful Vasa Ship
Medieval Costumes
The whole group with our new Swedish friends
Never in my dreams would I have ever chosen to visit Stockholm, Sweden. Now I can't wait until I can go back and get to see more of the city. There are two islands that we never got to see and the shopping in Stockholm is great. I had no idea that H&M and Ikea are both stores that originated in Sweden. I also want to visit the rest of the Royal Palaces in the countryside and see a moose-there were so many souvenirs with moose on them! The Swedish guys we met told us that the Germans love to go to Sweden and see the moose, although they have no idea why. I also bought some Swedish meatballs and they were delicious. The Swedish people were all very kind and courteous. Even the bus drive smiled at us in the mornings. It was also interesting being the only American traveling in a group of Europeans. I got to learn a lot about different cultures, especially Italian. I learned an Italian song "Bella Ciao" that was written against fascism. Stockholm is definitely one of my favorite memories here so far. None of us wanted to go back to Malta.
My friend Tina (from England) and I. We both loved Stockholm
The week we came back from Malta, I had my last presentation the following Tuesday. I basically used the last week to catch up on work and sleep. Now I'm just eagerly waiting for Easter Break.
I've also bought a ticket to Egypt and I'll be visiting the country for a week in May! I'm so excited and cannot believe how lucky and blessed I am right now. I never thought that I'd be able to see all of these countries in one semester! Once again, one of the greatest experiences that studying abroad has to offer. I've gotten really close to my roommates for the past few weeks. We've been sharing each other food from our different cultures, sharing anecdotes, and comparing our cultures. But mostly we've gotten to know each other better. I can't wait to visit everyone in their home countries. When I go back home I want to save money and just travel, travel, travel whenever I have the chance. It's so easy and a lot cheaper to visit countries here in Europe. I wish it was the same way in America. I'm trying to make the most out of my proximity to all of these countries while I'm here.
Singing karaoke with my flatmates
So lesson of the day: STUDY ABROAD so you can travel to even more countries!
In blogs to come: My trip to Italy....and later Egypt!
It's only been the fourth week of classes here in Malta and I feel like I've been here for longer than that. I'm getting used to my subjects and I haven't gotten lost on campus since the first week which is a good sign. I already have to work on three presentations, gah! But I'm taking an Introduction to Sculpture class and we just finished making heads out of clay. The next time we meet we'll be creating sculptures out of rock, I'm so excited! I have plans to create a peacock sculpture-I'm hoping it won't look like a turkey.
A lot of my classes interrelate to one another. I'm taking a Medieval Europe class which complements my Scripture of the Mediterranean anthropology class. We're learning about the Arabic world and Islam in both of them. One of my English classes, Gender and Power, is similar to my Feminism and Anthropology class. One of my most interesting classes is Children's Literature where we've been examining fairy tales and a sense of nostalgia comes whenever we talk about popular children's books. I'm really enjoying most of my classes so far, although some courses are more tedious than others.
The weather hasn't been too nice in Malta. It's been raining a lot and very chilly. It's a wet cold, a different cold from the Northeastern USA type of cold but it still induces the same type of feeling. Almost everyone here is sick/is getting sick and I am one of them, unfortunately. But no worries, I'm sure I'll feel better in a few days. In Malta none of the buildings here are centrally heated because winters are generally mild. I really can't wait until the temperature gets warmer.
I'm getting used to cooking for myself now. At SPC I'm used to relying on my meal plan and going to the cafeteria whenever I don't feel like cooking. Almost all of the stores here in Malta close by noon or early afternoon and everything is closed on Sundays. Supermarkets aren't prevalent, either, mostly just mini food stores and pharmacies are located throughout the villages. Fortunately for us there's a big supermarket only a 10-minute walk away from the residence and they deliver if you spend a certain amount of groceries. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of Asian spices/products so my parents sent me some spices so I can cook some Filipino food. I miss Filipino, Chinese, and Thai food a lot! There's a lot of Italian dishes that are served here. Restaurant food hasn't been too different, they just taste a little differently. For example, cole slaw is always put on hamburgers. Food servings at the restaurants are all so big, though. I have to watch how much I eat...
But I've been keeping busy, especially on the weekends. Every Sunday there's always a fair in Valletta and Marxaslokk, a tiny fishing village on the eastern side of Malta. But they start early in the morning and stop around noon so you have to wake up early in order to see all of the good merchandise. Two Sundays ago my roommate and I went to Marxaslokk. It took about half an hour to get there, but it was worth it. The market was right by the water and there was so much to buy! It's like going to a flea market in the States. There was so much food, seafood, and other merchandise. Fresh fruits and vegetables are sold and I'd rather do food shopping here than at the supermarket. I spent so much on random items and nothing was too pricey at all! After we were done shopping, we ate at a seafood restaurant and I had salmon.
SEAFOOD!
With my roommate, Ikue
This past weekend was Karnival, a 5 day festival celebrated before the beginning of Lent, which starts today, Ash Wednesday. Every year there's a big celebration in village of Nadur on Gozo, the other little island that is part of Malta. It takes about two hours to get there from the residence including a 25-minute ferry boat ride from the mainland. Gozo is the island where the famous Blue Grotto and Calypso's cave are located. I haven't visited those places yet because it's too cold but I'll be sure to visit before June.
Karnival here is like Halloween in the States. Everyone is dressed up in ridiculous costumes and it's basically a party in the street. There are vendors selling all kinds of treats and toys. I really wish I brought my costume if I had known about Karnival before. It was basically like a big party on the streets.
The beautiful sunset on the ferry to Gozo
The ferry we travelled on
So excited to be on the ferry....at least I am
My friend Lisa and I ate this amazing chocolate cake from one of the vendors
There were so many costumes I took a pic of, but I love the Guy Fawkes costumes
Last Sunday we went to Valletta to visit the Sunday market there and to continue celebrating Karnival. The capital city was alive with so many people. The children were all wearing the cutest costumes and there were huge colorful floats there.
Karnival at Valletta!
One of the beautiful floats
I've only been to one Maltese mass here so far. Maltese is different from any language I've ever listened to. It's about 60% Arabic with a lot of Italian influence. I can't understand any of it which makes me frustrated. It's always interesting attending Catholic churches in different countries. The format is exactly the same, although it's celebrated in different languages. All of the churches here are a lot older and it's different from attending the fairly new churches in the US.
This weekend we're planning on going to Mdina, a Medieval city that has been kept intact since it was built. We're also going on a hike! I just hope that the weather cooperates. More pictures and another blog to come soon!
So I have arrived in Malta in the middle of the Mediterranean safe and sound. The flight took about 9 hours, not including the 5 hour wait in Germany because the flight crew went on strike. I was really nervous leaving because I've never traveled by myself and I had no idea where I was going. This is my first time being in Europe. I met really nice people on the airplane, actually and the food wasn't so bad. I just didn't get enough sleep.
View of the coast from Valletta
I stayed in the capital of Malta, Valletta, on my first night. I was so excited about being in a different country but the jet lag caught up with me and I slept pretty early that first night.
The next day I went to the University Residence in Lija and I couldn't move into my room yet so they moved me into a 5-Star hotel for the weekend, free of charge. We had Orientation on Friday, we moved into the Residence on Sunday and classes started that Monday.
I've met a lot of people already. The entire University Residence is inhabited by international students. I live in an apartment with Italians, French, and my roommate is Japanese. The Italians have got me hooked into eating Nutella-this chocolate spread with hazelnuts. It's amazing! I think they're also sold in the US but it was my first time trying it here and now I eat it all the time. The Italians also make fun of what I eat for breakfast. They don't think that eggs should be eaten so early in the day but I love my over easy eggs in the morning! I get a meal stipend here to compensate having a meal plan and I cook all of my meals. I feel like my summer in Washington, D.C. was a preparation for studying abroad. Now I'm used to cooking for myself and I'm learning new recipes from the other girls.
There are also a lot of students from the US here but I'm the only one from New Jersey. I love hearing all of the different accents and languages. Many of the students are studying in Malta to improve their English. As for me, I'm learning new words in Italian every day and I'm helping my suitemates with their English as well.
Taking classes here are SO confusing. I'm never going to take the US system for granted again. None of the class times and locations are posted online. Instead, we have to go to their department on campus and look up the timetables. Some of the classes I wanted to sign up for didn't even have a time and location yet. But I have officially signed up for classes and I'm taking 30 ECTS (European Transfer Credit System), about 10 classes.
European classes are different from the US standard college system. Classes only meet for 1 or 2 hours per week and they grade you based on either an assessment or a test. There are no mid-terms, midterm papers, or anything. I'm so used to a class meeting at least twice a week. It's hard for me to sit in a 2-hour lecture. But it's a new experience and I don't have classes on Thursday and Friday.
I've gotten lost so many times, walked into so many wrong classes and embarrassed myself. I feel like a freshman all over again. The University campus is a lot bigger than SPC and more confusing.
Everything in Malta is tiny! Malta is the most densely populated country in Europe. There are stray cats everywhere and I have yet to spot a Maltese dog. The main mode of transportation here is by bus and everyone is bilingual and friendly. Maltese food consists of rabbit, horse meat, and seafood. The language is also different from anything I've seen before. It's 60% Arabic with Sicilian and Italian influences. Malta is exactly like a sandcastle. The houses have beautiful balconies and doorknobs.
The weather is actually quite chilly here. (I've been trying to convert Celsius into Fahrenheit but I always forget. At the end of 6 months I'll be an expert on the metric system). The Mediterranean sea is so beautiful and so clear and blue. It's cold but I've been able to put my feet in it. It actually hailed two nights ago. The weather changes every so often here, it rains for one hour, then it's sunshine the next. I'm not complaining though, Malta seems to be the warmest country compared to the rest of Europe and the US.
The first weekend we went out to Paceville, the nightclub capital of Malta where so many people go to have a good time. We went bowling and toured the San Anton Gardens (right outside the President of Malta's house).
My friends take a little dip in the Mediterranean
At the San Anton Gardens-I believe the building behind us is where the President lives
PEACOCK in the gardens!!!
I found this Peacock store in Valletta
In front of our 5-Star Hotel
Bowling! This is Ikue, my roommate
Waiting in the lobby of the hotel before we moved into the Residence
The view from the BALCONY in my ROOM!!
The British occupied Malta until the 1940s so there is a lot of British influence still apparent in the country. Restaurants offer English breakfasts (eggs, bacon, etc.) and there are still some phone booths, like this one, around the country.
This past weekend we went to Valletta and took the ferry to Sliema, a big tourist spot on the coast that's great for shopping. We also saw a movie, Bride Wars, in Valletta.
Taking the ferry from Valletta to Sliema
Touching the Mediterranean!
Behind some sculpture we found on the coast
Last Tuesday was a public holiday in Malta, St. Paul's Shipwreck. St. Paul was shipwrecked on Malta on the way from Jerusalem to Rome. 98% of the country is Catholic and there are 365 churches in the country-one for every day. We had no classes and went to Valletta where there was a parade. The weather was absolutely beautiful that day and we soaked up the sun by Fort St. Elmo-the fortress of the capital.
My friend Linzi and I (she's from Ireland) by Fort St. Elmo
In front of the beautiful blue Mediterranean
Scenic take
Decorations on the street to celebrate St. Paul's
A Valletta street at night. There are so many small alleys with small stores in the capital. It takes less than a day to see everything in Valletta
Last night we went to a football match: Malta vs. Albania. I have never seen a national soccer game before. It was freezing! There weren't too many people who went but it was a good time with the International students and coffee to warm myself up. A marching band was playing and we learned new chants: "Viva Malta, viva Malta, hey hey!" The game ended in a tie: Albania: 0 Malta: 0
GO MALTA!
I'm really enjoying my time so far and I've had so many memories already. I wish everyone could study abroad for one semester. It's an amazing experience, meeting people from different countries and being an American abroad really changes your perspective. I'm so thankful for being able to travel and arriving here safely in Malta. This country is beautiful. It's hard because I really do miss SPC and all of the clubs and events I'm missing. I miss all of my family and friends as well. I won't let myself get homesick because I know it won't do me any good. But I've been having a wonderful time and can't wait for the months to come.
I'm finally leaving for Malta tomorrow! I wanted to update before I leave because I've been keeping busy on and off campus. It seems that I can't stay away from Saint Peter's too long. Classes started for everyone else on January 14 and I start next week!
This break I've been visiting a lot of my friends and spending more time with my family. I drove to north Jersey to visit my friend from college, Mae. She took me around her hometown and we had a blast. I'm really going to miss her when I leave for Malta.
With Mae
My girlfriends from high school had a last get together before we left to go back to college. We always have a "Fab Fest" every year and this time we ate at PF Changs. It was nice seeing everyone again. I honestly can't believe that it's been three years since high school already but it's good to know that I still keep in touch with many of my friends from back home.
With a few of my friends from back home
Before classes started at SPC we had our annual Pavo training for our new tour guide members. This year it was from Jan. 11-13 and we all had such a good time! There are eight new Pavo members ready to be certified and give tours of the college to all the prospective students. Including giving tours of the campus, we had outside speakers talk to us like Art Youmans, Director of Campus Safety and Fr. Braden, who talked about the Jesuits and their role on campus. As part of our team building, we bowled as well and I think I've improved from last year, I hope. We finished our training with a graduation dinner and all the old Pavos were invited to share the evening with us.
As an outgoing E-Board member it was a joy to work with the Pavo Society, planning training and everything! I will definitely miss it when I'm away, especially dancing the "Peacock Shuffle." Congratulations to our new E-Board members, two of whom, Nicole and Barza, will be blogging as well!
Our bowling team!
Lucky Charms, M&Ms, Daddy, and Shorty
Eating Dinner
Our new Pavo members!
I have a story about this scarf-my friend Veronica travelled to Spain and Portugal as one of the study abroad classes offered at SPC. She saw this Peacock scarf in Barcelona and brought it back for me! I love it so much and I'm bringing it with me to Malta. Thanks Veronica!
After Pavo training I had to go back home :( But it was OK because for the first time in two years I got to celebrate my brother's birthday. I also had a Farewell Dinner the following Sunday with my extended family.
Last Tuesday, January 20 was President Obama's Inauguration Day. I was (and always will be) proud of being an American. It's fascinating to think that he spoke at our college only last year. I wish him luck and give him my prayers.
I spent the day with my friend Casey, in New York City. We watched the Inauguration Ceremony together and then we proceeded to the Museum of Sex and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I wanted to spend some time with my best friend from home in the City before I leave. The Museum of Sex only contained three exhibitions, one of which was about animal behavior. I thought it was interesting but I felt that there could have been better topics and more historical aspects. After that we visited the Met, only the second time I've been there since starting college. It always amazes me with how huge the Museum is and how much there is to see. I loved seeing the Japanese Garden and French bedrooms.
My best friend Casey-she's actually visiting me in Malta in March! I'm so excited!
In front of the heiroglyphics
Last Thursday, January 23 I travelled to Washington, D.C. with my dad and our church parish to take part in the annual Pro-Life March. This celebrates the anniversary of Roe v. Wade decision that overturned anti-abortion laws in all states. I personally believe that all babies have a right to be born and that life startes from the moment of conception. President Obama has promoted the "Freedom of Choice Act" which will allow abortion, including partial birth abortion. Although I support the President, I am vehemently against this act.
There were about 400,000 marchers who were in Washington, D.C. to protest abortion. I was proud to be of them.
My Dad and I at the National Basilica
This was the first time I've visited D.C. since interning there this summer and I really miss it.
At the March going to Capitol Hill
Finally, this past weekend I was able to go on the Chorale Retreat even though I'm leaving. I was so happy to be spending my last weekend in the US with all of my good friends on a retreat. We travelled to a retreat house in New York and learned new songs and bonded together. Our theme for this semester is: Songs of Conflict. We will be singing any songs with conflict for our Spring Concert in March. I will miss being part of the Chorale this year too...
With my friends Kate and Mae on the way to the retreat house
Some of the Sopranos
Last week I also donated my hair to Locks of Love. I cut ten inches off because I wanted a new look for Malta and do it for a good cause as well.
Look at my new haircut:
The weather in New Jersey has been very cold since Christmas. I honestly can't wait to be in Malta where the climate is a great deal warmer than here. I leave tomorrow and I'm so nervous and excited! I've said my good-byes and will miss everyone and everything at SPC. When I come back I'll have plenty of stories to share.
December was a busy month for me at SPC. We had about three weeks of school left, including a week of finals. It was hard balancing my extracurricular activities with my studies, but somehow I pulled through.
When we got back from Thanksgiving, the McMullen Chorale was preoccupied preparing for our first Christmas Concert on December 4. We always sang before the Christmas Tree lighting on campus the years before, but this year we actually got to sing in Roy Irving Theater and the Lighting Ceremony followed outside in the quad with refreshments in McIntyre afterwards. We sang traditional Christmas songs, two beautiful Hebrew songs, and a few soloists sang their hearts out. Many people came to see us even though the weather wasn't really cooperating. Fr. O'Brien blessed the tree and Dr. Cornacchia and Joe Ferraro, Student Senate president both spoke as well. Our first Christmas Concert was a success and I can only imagine next year's performance.
My camera died right before the concert-this was the only picture I took before :(
The first weekend of December I helped lead yet another retreat, Koinonia VII. The five student leaders and I have been busy all semester planning for this weekend. It was a busy weekend. We all got to know a great deal about each other and shared each other's personal stories of overcoming obstacles. I only wish that more people went on this retreat, but it was definitely a success.
On the last day of the retreat
Student Leaders
As soon as we got back from the retreat, I had to focus on writing papers and preparing for finals during the week. Not to mention all of the Secret Santa and Christmas Dinners....
AASU had the last meeting on Monday, December 8 with our annual Christmas party and Secret Santa. We played musical chairs (no joke when playing with college students), a potluck dinner, and had fun spending a few hours with each other before the semester ended.
The 2007-2008 AASU E-Board reunite!
My Secret Santa gave me the perfect gift-a travel guide to Malta complete with a map!
The following day, the Pavo Society had its end of the year dinner with a White Elephant gift exchange afterwards. It was my first time doing this-basically people can steal each other's gifts or open new gifts that haven't been picked yet. I was lucky enough to pick Cheryl's gift and she surprised me with a $50 Visa Giftcard! We ate dinner in downton Jersey City at an Asian restaurant called Grand Banks-the sushi and meals were all very tasty.
The Pavos with our final gifts!
The next day was the last day of classes and the first Winter Formal held in McIntyre Lounge and sponsored by all of the Classes. The tickets were all sold out and McIntyre was decorated into a Winter Wonderland. I had a lot of fun dancing one last time for the semester.
Our Table
With my lovely friends
In front of the sign
The next day was reading day-nobody had classes, instead this day is dedicated to hard work and studying (or sleeping in....)
The McMullen Chorale did their community service early in the morning at the A. Harry Moore School for special needs children. We sing for the children every year and it's so great to bring Christmas joy to the teachers and students.
With the children
The last weekend of the semester was another busy weekend. On Saturday, Dec. 13, SPC Basketball had its double-header against Seton Hall. Unfortunately we lost, but we did put up a good fight and it was great fun cheering along with other SPC students and getting free t-shirts and towels!
The Men
Peacock fans!
Later on that evening I had the privilege to see my history professor, Dr. Rabin, sing at Carnegie Hall with the St. Cecilia Chorus. A few other SPC professors are members of this chorus as well. Every semester the Chorus raises funds to have special student tickets for college students to attend their events. I've been attending these concerts since freshman year and I love it every time. This time the Chorus performed Handel's Messiah , a piece famous for its rendition of "Alleluia." Many SPC students attended to support our professors and to enjoy the classic music.
In front of Carnegie Hall
The city is beautiful during the holiday season. After the concert we saw the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.
With Veronica in front of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree
The following week, it was down to business. The end of the Fall semester is always a lot of fun because of all of the Christmas ceremonies, dinners, and gift exchanges. But it's SO hard to concentrate on writing final term papers and concentrating on actually studying. I spent my share in the library the last week. I'm actually very satisfied with the grades I received. Hard work always pays off in the end.
It was a little sad leaving campus-I had to pack up all of my stuff in my apartment because I won't be coming back next semester. I've been busy organizing all of my college stuff at home, figuring out which essentials to bring with me when I study abroad next semester.
I've been trying to spend as much time as I can with my friends and family. I can't imagine not seeing my family, especially my cousins, for the next six months. I hate saying Good-Bye. I always catch myself saying "I'll see you later" because saying good-bye just makes my departure more real. During the last mass of the semester, Campus Ministry was very kind giving me a last blessing before leaving to study abroad. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and well-wishes. I'm sure I'll have a blast in Malta.
With my Secret Santa, my best friend Casey from high school-she also gave me awesome travel guides to Malta including a webcam
Spending Christmas with my family (and the dogs too)
My family
Last Monday my cousins and I went snowboarding for the first time. I've been recuperating from my bruises and aches since then-everything hurts! It was fun though. It didn't help that we didn't have any lessons, so we started snowboarding cold feet. The last hour and a half on the bunny hill we actually learned how to brake and stop. It wasn't so hard after that. Next time I'm definitely bringing knee pads and more water....
Many blessings for the upcoming year. Next time I update I'll most likely be in Malta....I can't wait!
Looking back on past blog entries, 2008 was another busy year full of firsts and excitement, and of course hope for the upcoming year.
I can't believe it's Holiday Season already! I was so excited to go home this weekend. I haven't been home since September and it was nice to see my family and eat home-cooked food again. Thanksgiving was celebrated at my cousin's in North Jersey. My family was ecstatic when I told them that I'm studying abroad next semester. I'm just sad that I won't be seeing anyone I know for the next six months.
Thanksgiving with my cousins
These past two weeks I've been busy writing term papers and keeping up with classes. There's only about a week and a half of actual classes left and finals start soon! The end of the semester is almost here, but I'm sure a lot will still be happening on campus.
Open House was November 15! About 600 people came and it was a great success! I helped with the Pavos giving tours to prospective students and their families. It was a rainy day but we kept our spirits up with big umbrellas and renditions of peacock dances. Students still have the chance to visit our campus if they missed Open House. They can also set up personal visits and actually sit in a class with one of our Pavos if they like. Just contact Admissions!
Group Pavo picture
Old Pavo E-Board + New E-Board with Cheryl our awesome advisor
Later on that same day the first basketball games of the season started for SPC. President Cornacchia and other professors came to support the Peacocks and then later on for the Peahens. I'm excited that basketball season has started because SPC students come together to see the games and it's exciting to watch. I hope we have a good season this year.
At the Basketball Game
Last weekend my friend Jonathan took me to the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. I'm sure many of you have seen the museum from the movie Night at the Museum starring Ben Stiller. The last time I was at the Museum of Natural History was holiday season with my family last year. The museum is so big that after two visits, there's still so much to see. I'm not sure what my favorite part of the exhibition was-probably seeing all of the artifacts like hominids and neanderthals that I'm learning in my evolution class. It was like watching my Evolution class come alive. I actually knew some of the facts about them too. It was also really nice to see the city getting ready for Christmas. I just hate that the weather is getting so cold. I hope it's a little warmer in Malta.
Jonathan and I in front of the Museum-Teddy Roosevelt's head got a little cut off
In front of an Easter Island statue replica-the kids were crazy about this one!
So this past weekend I had a very relaxing time with my family and friends. I had the chance to attend my Tito Gardie and Tita Joseline's (Uncle and Aunt's) 25th Anniversary Wedding. They renewed their vows after 25 years and I was so happy for them. During the wedding my Dad was one of the sponsors and put the cord around the couple-the cord symbolizes their everlasting love and unity through marriage and the Church.
Later on the reception was at the Hilton hotel. I got to see a lot of the second cousins I never get the chance to see anymore. They all got a lot bigger than when I last saw them. As with all Filipino weddings there was a great deal of line dancing and fun. I learned how to do the Chili Cha Cha and the Todo Todo. Needless to say, I love weddings and witnessing 25 years of marriage is a joy for me.
My family with the happy bride and groom
At the reception in front of the Christmas decorations
Dancing with my Dad at the reception
Last night my friends and I got together to have a second Thanksgiving with each other. We all brought left overs from home and finished them together. It was nice to actually see everyone-I haven't seen some of them since last May right before I left for Washington, D.C.
At the Dinner Table-I made half of these pilgrim hats!
Now it's back to school-I'll be going on a retreat this weekend called Koinonia. I'm really nervous/excited. It'll be the first time I'm leading on this retreat. I hope it goes well. The next time I blog will probably during finals....I better start studying....
My roommate, Jolie, Jacob, and I carved our own pumpkins!
So the last time I updated was right before mid-terms. Right now there are 6 weeks left in the semester and I'm busy with post-mid term papers. But besides that, I did really well on my mid-terms. All of my work and stress paid off, so now I'm just focused on keeping those grades up.
Politically, I'd like to congratulate President-elect Barack Obama. I was so excited to have voted in my first presidential election! This is truly a historical moment in our counry's history and I'm glad that our generation got to be a part of it.
So....GOOD NEWS
I got accepted into the ISEP Study Abroad Program. I will be studying next semester at the UNIVERSITY OF MALTA!
I'm so excited. I've been waiting nervously this whole semester to see whether or not I got accepted. But I'm happy to report that everything is official and I will be leaving in January.
For those of you who are not familiar with Malta-it's an island 60 miles south of Sicily, right smack in the middle of the Mediterranean. I chose that place because it's close to Italy and they had a great History program taught in English. I really can't describe how excited I am right now, but stay tuned because I will be blogging from Malta next semester and I hope to share some pictures as well.
Here's a map of Malta:
I really can't thank my professors and advisors for helping me throughout the study abroad process. They have been supportive of me and my wish to study abroad and they've been all very great.
OPEN HOUSE is this Saturday, November 15! I will be there along with some of my fellow bloggers, giving tours and I hope to see some new faces on the SPC campus!
Besides all the good news, I have been very busy.
Mid-October the Honors Program hosted a walking tour of Jersey City. It was directed by none other than Dr. Chew's husband. He's a teacher at Fordham University but knows a great deal about Jersey City and its rich history. Unfortunately the weather wasn't cooperating, but we still had time to walk around. The first place we visited was the cemetery right by the SPC campus. It was an interesting place to walk around. I had never been there before and I didn't feel like I was in an urban environment while we were there. It was interesting observing the place and Dr. Fischer knew so much!
Some of the girls inside the cemetery
The Asian American Student Union has been attending/hosting many events.
On Oct. 19 we went to Central Park in NYC to do the Breast Cancer Walk. The club itself raised around $400. We walked the entire 5 miles-I was sooo tired after but I felt very accomplished. I know some women who have been affected by Breast Cancer and this was a day to walk in solidarity for their cause.
Here are some pictures from the Breast Cancer Walk:
2 more miles to go....
Resting after the walk
On November 1, AASU went to NYU to support our candidate for Mr. Philippines. Sixteen colleges around the metropolitan area with Filipino clubs participated for the "mangeant." The contest included a talent portion, costume portion, and the top 3 finalists had a round of Question & Answer. Our own Mark Velasquez, Class of 2011 represented Saint Peter's College. I was part of his talent as the "love interest" in his spoken word. I was so nervous for him! Mark didn't make the top 3 but we were proud of him anyway. Mr. PI was so much fun, it's just a great time to meet other Filipinos from other colleges and root for SPC.
Mark with the SPC sign
So I'm excited to announce the new Pavo E-Board for the upcoming year (2009). Nicole Onello, a sophomore, will be taking my place as Communications Chair of the Pavos. I'm happy for her and sure that she will do amazingly. To celebrate, we had a transition dinner with the old and new E-Board members. Good luck to them!
All of us!
You'll definitely be seeing our faces this Saturday at Open House!
On Oct. 25 the History Club went out and visited the city together for the first time. We were able to see the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It's absolutely fascinating! I didn't know what to expect but I wish we had more time to see more of it. We took a tour around a house constructed in the late 19th century and we witnessed the conditions that people, mainly immigrants, lived in and how they worked. I'm sure that the History Club wil host another event similar to this trip.
The History Club in front of the Tenement Museum
On October 29 I went to my first major hockey game ever! I got free tickets to see the New Jersey Devils play the Toronto Maple Leafs, compliments of Admissions. It was SO much fun. I appreciate hockey all the more now. The Prudential Center, where the Devils play, is in Newark and very easy to get to from SPC. I can't imagine being able to do this at any other college. The Devils lost, but it was such a good game! The Maple Leafs scored during overtime and the Devils put up a good fight. It was also a lot of fun because the game happened two days before Halloween and many spectators came in costume. It was interesting to see everyone dress up, I really wish I did.
I can say that I've definitely become a Devils hockey fan and I hope that I get the chance to see more hockey games.
YEAH DEVILS! Our seats were amazing!
Scoreboard
DEVILS FANS!
Halloween is always a fun time around the New York Metropolitan area. A couple of my friends and I went to the Village in Manhattan to see the biggest Halloween parade of the country. I've been going for the past two years and the Village is always packed! The most creative and crazy costumes can be seen. This year I dressed up as Princess Peach from the video game Mario & Bros. Thank goodness the weather was beautiful that night. We all had an intersting night!
My friend Mariya and I
Why so serious? The best Joker costume of the night!
Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett
That same weekend the Chorale had two performances on Nov. 2. We sang for the Alumni Memorial Mass as well as the Sons of Italy Induction in McIntyre Lounge. We sang two of our Italian songs in honor of new organization on campus.
Some members of the chorale with Kevin
This past weekend was the First Annual Presidential Ball. Dr. Cornacchia, the president of our college, was inducted last year. We held Presidential Ball for him last year and the Student Senate decided to make it a yearly event. It was held at Puccini's Restaurant right down the street and it was definitely a good time for both students, faculty, and administrators. The President himself was seen on the dance floor. I'm sure all of the students had a lot of fun eating and dancing.
Juniors: Maria, Alisha, Rezma, and I before we left
At Puccini's with my girlfriends!
Me and Dr. Cornacchia
Me and my date, Jonathan
So right now I'm getting ready for Open House this Saturday. I'm still busy retreat-planning, writing papers, studying-all of that academic college stuff. Thanksgiving is in two weeks and I'm excited to go back home to see my family. They're all really excited that I'll be studying abroad next semester in Malta. I know I'll miss them too and everyone on campus but I'm so ready to visit Europe and have the time of my life!
I hope to update again soon! I really can't believe the semester will be over in 6 weeks!
I'm glad we had a three-day weekend because I'm so busy with schoolwork and activities (as always). I really needed to relax and spend some time with my friends. Meanwhile I'm also preparing to take mid-terms. I have five mid-terms this week, yikes! Wish me luck. Mid-terms also indicates that the semester is halfway over. I can't believe it. I guess I've been caught up with all of my activities I didn't realize the semester slipping by....
Campus Ministry and the retreat leaders have been working very hard since the semester started planning our annual Catholic retreat. This year it's called: Catholic...Express Yourself and took place October 3-5 in beautiful Stirling, NJ. This year we explored different ways of worshipping God through every day activities or traditional and contemporary rituals. I gave a talk on prayer and how to pray the rosary. Other talks included the Sacraments, Adoration, Service Learning, Music, Meditation, and Faith Heroes. We even had an Arts & Crafts portion when we learned how to make rosaries out of twine. I ended up making 5 rosaries. The Jesuits also made their appearance: Fr. Braden, Fr. O'Brien, and Fr. Papaj came to give us guidance and lead us in mass.
It was such a fun weekend! I love retreats because it's a time to get away from campus and reflect as well as make new friends. There were 18 people who came in all and Mary Sue cooked delicious food for us all. As always we had our talent show with apple pie and ice cream. I'm so glad that everyone had a great time and I can't wait for next year already.
We received a warm welcome from the retreat house staff
The whole group! We were wearing stereotype headbands as one of the icebreakers
Giving my Prayer talk in the Chapel
Greg and Christina show off their finished rosaries!
Chilling on the couch
Waiting eagerly in line for apple pie!
Meanwhile I've been busy rehearsing for the Senior-Directed One Acts. The seniors of Argus Eyes were offered the opportunity to direct a One Act play. I auditioned and was cast in Liz Lodato's play, "Check, Please." It's a short play about blind (crazy) dates and the difficulty of finding someone compatible. I played two roles: Melanie-a football fanatic; and Linda-someone with a major personality disorder. I had so much fun rehearsing and starring in a show. The play was this weekend: Oct. 9-11.
The other plays were:
"The Incompatibles" directed by Tom Condon and
"Last Rights" by Amanda Staub-a play written by SPC's Professor White of the English Department
This is the first time I've ever acted in an Argus Eyes production. I was so nervous all three nights of the show! Thankfully I didn't mess up my lines and played my role beautifully. I wish I could do it all again.
Playing Melanie
Playing Linda
Taking a bow
My family came to see me! My brother and cousins are pictured with me here
I've been busy these past two weeks and how it's crunch-time. I need to start studying for mid-terms!
So we're about one month into the 2008-2009 school year here at SPC. I've been busy since I moved in last August with work, activities, and having fun. I really cannot believe that this will be my third year of college and I'll be a senior next year. I'm sure this year will be filled with more fun and learning than last year.
I'm taking five classes this semester:
Western Science & the Occult with Dr. Rabin-this course is about withcraft in the Middle Ages, it's very interesting
Renaissance Drama with Dr. Conlon
Political Science with Professor Sanders
Cultural Anthropology with Dr. Surrey
and Evolution, Science, and Adaptation with Dr. Surrey and Dr. Sciorra-I know this course will be challenging
I'm continuing my studies as a History major with two minors in English and Anthropology. This summer I received academic credit for my internship at The Washington Center.
This year my roommate is Jolie Hoppe, one of my fellow SPC bloggers and senior this year. I'm really excited to be living with her this year.
Even before school started I was asked by Mary Sue from Campus Ministry to speak in front of the Freshman on Freshman Day. Of course I never say no, so I agreed to give a speech on why I am proud of being educated by the Jesuits. My speech was about five minutes long and I hope the freshman got learned a little from my speech:
"First of all, I would like to welcome the Class of 2012 to Saint Peter's College. My name is Peaches Dela Paz and I will be a junior this year. It’s scary to think that I only have two more years until I graduate.
All of you come from diverse backgrounds-different schools, states, even countries, and you each have a different reason for being here, thus, the only thing you all have in common is the fact that you are here at Saint Peter’s College and will be graduating in four years. Some of you might not have even known the significance of attending a “Jesuit college� before coming here. At many other schools that you applied to, your chosen major prepares you for a job, so you can sell yourself to the million-dollar corporations in the “real world.� But the Jesuits have a far different idea of what a college education should be---its not vocational training, and it’s not just about preparing you for the first job interview you go to after graduating. A Jesuit education enriches your life.
And from this simple idea comes the idea of a core curriculum, which each of you will experience throughout your education here. It is based on the Jesuit idea of Cura personalis, of educating oneself in, not just one area, but in everything. You might hear students complain about the core curriculum, saying something along the lines of: "Well, I'm going to be an accountant, why do I need philosophy?" or, "I'm going to be a lawyer, why do I need to take Physics?"
Why? It's very simple. Being able to socialize and have a broad base of general knowledge is vital to a successful career in whatever area you are majoring in and also having a successful life. I have taken, uh…philosophy, so that when my coworker calls the head boss Hobbesian, I know what she means. I take theology to understand why some of my friends fast during the month of Ramadan. I take political science so that Machiavellian isn't just a funny Italian word in my mind. I have taken French…. Italian… and Spanish with Father DeStephano so that when some stud is trying to impress me with his expertise and calls his white wine Peanot Grigee-eoh, I can kindly correct him (Pinot Grigio) and tell him to beat it. I take biology so that I know that Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA and that malaria is an ongoing epidemic in many countries around the world---it seems trivial, but when you're socializing at say…an office party at your internship, it could be the difference between being perceived as a drone who won't be with the company long or as somebody who deserves a permanent position, maybe even a promotion."
Besides receiving a Jesuit education, there are the Jesuits themselves. They are remarkable leaders who have so much knowledge and are ready to pass that knowledge on to our young minds. I am proud and very grateful to have been able to meet these unique individuals not only in the classroom, but outside as well. They have not only broadened my mind but have helped me to grow spiritually.
Education is a tool for having a thoughtful and enriched life. It’s obviously very important. People will tell you to “get into college, graduate, get a good job with a good company and you'll be fine.� Uh-uh. This is a symptom of being close-minded that will not get you very far in the 21st century. My advice to you is to make the most out of this opportunity in receiving a Jesuit education-an education that will help you for the rest of your life through knowledge, leadership, and love. Thank you and good luck!"
Rozen and I-we both gave speeches
I'm really glad I got the opportunity to share my love of the Jesuits with the freshmen.
Since school started I have been swamped with Pavo training for our student ambassadors, retreat meetings (I will be leading two this year), and other clubs. Maybe I should start teaching courses in Time Management?
With the Pavo E-Board at training-isn't my peacock cute?
Student Senate has already had two meetings and each of them have been very interesting. Student Leadership Day was on September 13 and it was a conference for all students holding E-Board positions. This year I am the Treasurer for the History Club.
The beginning of the year is always exciting because there are so many events for the faculty, students, and administration. The Mass of the Holy Spirit, the first mass of the school year, was on September 10. Fr. Braden, the new Vice President for Mission and Ministry resided. The Michaelmas Convocation was last week where all of the undergraduates are given awards for their outstanding academic achievement. I got the Dean's List! Congratulations to everyone who won awards-it really shows how much hard work all of us have to do as students.
I was also lucky enough to attend the Presidential Reception last week with the McMullen Chorale. The Presidential Reception is a banquet to thank all of the donors who make student scholarships possible. I myself am a Presidential Scholar and am indebted to these generous people. The McMullen Chorale was invited to sing for everyone and we sang some of my favorite songs including Io Pavo, the school's fighting song, Ereve Shel Shoshanim, a traditional Hebrew song, and the Lord Bless and Keep You. It was great to mingle with the students but also the donors and faculty. This year the reception was held at the Liberty House in Liberty State Park, right across the NYC skyline. The view was absolutely beautiful and reminded me how close we are to NYC.
Some of the Chorale members on the terrace
Frank DeMichele, a Presidential Scholar, speaking
With Christina Clarke in front of the beautiful skyline
With Fr. DeStephano-a lot of the Jesuits were present too!
I took this at sunset
And the Chorale fun did not stop there. We had a retreat the following weekend in Wildwood, NJ. It took us four hours (including the traffic we got stuck in) to get there from Jersey City-but it was worth it! Some of our out-of-state students have never seen the other different parts of New Jersey. This was their first time of seeing another side of New Jersey and getting a chance to see the Jersey shore. Other than having fun at the beach and the boardwalk, we learned new music pieces and bonded as a group. As you can see from the pictures, we had a lot of fun:
Chorale Bus-you can see there were a lot of us....
We were crazy enough to take a dip into the Atlantic
Chorale girls on the Boardwalk
My roommates for the weekend. Here we were in line for a ride at the amusement park
We went on a Zombie ride....
In front of the Ferris Wheel-the view was beautiful!
The day after the Chorale retreat, a few of us also had to attend another retreat. (Yes, we did have two retreats in one weekend). It was at Genesis Farm and mandatory for all retreat leaders this year. The ride took us four hours (again) from Wildwood to North Jersey-we were practically on the Pennsylvania borderline. While we were there we took a tour of the Farm which was started by a group of nuns. The Farm is completely organic and environment-friendly. We listened to talks and gave our own reflections during the retreat. It was very relaxing and peaceful compared to busy Jersey City.
Our tour guide, Pat
During the week I had another chance to talk about my spring break last semester in Kentucky where I built houses. The presentation was sponsored by Campus Ministry, the Sociology and Political Science department. Anyone who went on the Appalachia trip were invited to speak in Pope Lecture Hall on their experience and try to convince others to go. This year there will be two teams for Spring Break: one wil be going to West Virginia, the other to Kentucky. It's an absolutely amazing experience to have and I encourage people to sign up!
The Appalachia group who spoke-these are all amazing people
I am proud to say that I will be making my debut as an actress on the SPC stage in one of the Senior-directed One Act plays. We've been busy rehearsing and I'm already a little nervous. The play is called "Check, Please" and it's really cute and funny. I will be playing two characters in it. Now I just have to start memorizing my lines....
You're also looking at a Staff Writer for the Pauw Wow! The Pauw Wow is the student newspaper on campus. I've never written for the school newspaper before, ever and I'm also really excited. My first article was about my experience at The Washington Center this summer. The next few articles I'll be writing, along with my friend Jacob, are the Jesuit Spotlight. We will be interviewing a Jesuit for every issue so students can learn more about them and the Jesuit life. You can view the Pauw Wow online at: http://www.spc.edu/pauwwow
Recently I have become obsessed with reading the Twilight Series. My roommate last year and friend Veronica got me hooked on the books. Even though I've been busy with classes and activities, I'm amazed that I still have time to read for pleasure. I've read all four books and can't wait for the Twilight movie to come out this November!
This weekend I've been busy studying for three major tests this week. It seems like my professors are operating on the same schedule and there's so much work for me to do!
I feel it in the air that summer's out of reach....
I couldn't go back to SPC without blogging about all of the exciting things I did this summer!
Today was my last day of my internship at the National Library of Medicine. It's been such a great experience. I've been able to learn public speaking skills in giving tours of our exhibition as well as gain important research skills in creating a future traveling exhibition. I've had a lot of fun doing it as well. My internship in Washington, D.C. has been a great balance between research as well as interaction with people from around the country, even around the world.
The Washington Center itself took a great deal of work. We had to write reflections on the presidential speakers we listened to and when we performed service in the D.C. area. At the end of the whole program, we turned in a compilation of all of the papers we had to write throughout the summer. My portfolio ended up being about eighty pages and I'm really proud of myself. Hopefully my professors will be able to give me a reasonable grade once they see all of the work I have done.
Not only have I been able to work in Washington, D.C. in the field of my major (history) but I have also been able to go experience the city itself! I have visited almost all of the Smithsonian museums in the area. The best thing about Washington, D.C. are all of the free things to do every weekend. My roommates and I have been able to see outdoor movie events in Crystal City, VA and on the Mall in front of Capitol Hill on Monday nights. Hundreds of people go to Screen on the Green and watch a free outdoor movie on a cool summer night.
I'm glad to be going home for a while, but then after a few days it's back to SPC! Classes will be starting on August 26th and I'm helping the freshman move in two days before. So hopefully I get the chance to meet some freshman! I'm excited for junior year but I wish I had a real break before starting classes. I plan on relaxing a lot once I go home.
Here are a few pictures from my exciting summer:
Some of my TWC friends and I at a Washington Nationals Game-they lost unfortunately....
After the Fourth of July weekend, my roommate and friend Veronica Graveline, another junior at SPC, visited me! I was so excited since she had never been to Washington, D.C. before because she never had a chance to when she lived in California. I'm glad I got to show her around our nation's capital and show her all of the amazing monuments and museums to see!
I would recommend anyone who visits Washington, D.C. to see all of the monuments at night, especially during the summer, when the monuments are lit and the sun isn't out. They are absolutely beautiful at night! Veronica and I are standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial. It is a very famous monument and it is awe-inspiring to see the statue up close.
Veronica and I infront of the National Native American Museum-they have a great cafeteria there where we ate lunch and had authentic Native American food
Veronica and I walking around Capitol Hill-we found this fountain near there
Some TWC Scholarship Recipients with me. One of the things that made this summer possible was receiving the Diversity Leadership Scholars award which paid for my summer housing
Looks official, doesn't it?
The Exhibition Program and me during our visit to the Newseum. The Newseum is one of my favorite museums there and I talked about it in my previous blog. This time during the visit I had the chance to speak to the directors and the curators of the exhibition and learned about how the entire museum was made. It was great learning about the Newseum from behind-the-scenes.
I got to see the studio where they broadcast news every morning in HD!
My other friend from Jersey City-Annerei and and I at the Air & Space Museum-the most visited museum in the world!
My roommate Ashley and my good friend Jacob from SPC (also a junior this fall) at Crystal City, VA where we watched the James Bond outdoor movie held every Monday
My roommates and I eating Ethiopian food at a renowned restaurant called Dukem on U Street in Washington, D.C.Ethiopian food is a must when visiting D.C. because it's authentic and the best ethnic food to be had in the area.
One of the best experiences I had this summer was traveling to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with my TWC class. Our final was not a written final, instead we had to give a presentation in front of our class on the Battlefield about our assigned general. Our class, Effective Leadership: Lessons from the Battlefield, is about learning leadership skills from the Battle of Gettysburg which occurred July 1-3, 1863 and applying it to leadership today. The class was a great deal of fun and I loved learning about the Civil War. It was the most educaitonal field trip I had ever been to. I spoke about General George Meade, Commander of the Army of the Potomac and his leadership skills. I feel that I can even give a tour of Gettysburg because I know so much about it now!
My roommate, Sarah and me, had the same class. We were assigned opposite generals-I was General Meade from the Union and she was General Lee from the Confederate side. This picture was taken atop the Castle on Little Round Top-one of my favorite places on the Battlefield
My friend Elise and I having fun at the gift shop
My roommate, Sarah and I, watching Screen on the Green on the Mall in front of Capitol Hill. The movie we wathced that night was The Apartment, a really interesting movie made in 1960 and won five Academy Awards. I definitely recommend it, especially when it's outdoors! There were so many people who came. I saved our spot at 5 PM and the movie started around 8:45 at night, but it was worth it! We were so close to the screen.
My best friend from high school, Gail, and I at Chinatown in Washington, D.C. We ate at this awesome restaurant called Matchbox famous for its gourmet pizzas.
Graduation time! A roommate picture after our Commencement Ceremony at TWC. I'm so proud of all of the work we put in this summer for this program.
Another cute roommate picture
TWC!
My roommate and I walking around Old City, VA during our last week in Washington, D.C. We walked around the beautiful area and found a tasty sushi restaurant! Old City is accessible by the Metro-right outside the Kings Street stop and there's a free trolley that takes people down to the waterfront of the Potomac.
Right now I'm watching the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. As much as I have traveled around the world and lived in very diverse cities and areas on the Northeast Coast, I still feel that I am not cultured enough. I would love to travel in the future even more and experience the culture of different countries.
Other than that, go Team USA! I will have no life until the Olympics are over....
So I've been busy since the Spring semester ended with graduation, conferences, and my new internship!
For the past month I have been living in Maryland and working for the National Library of Medicine. I give tours of the exhibition Against the Odds: Making a Difference in Global Health.
The National Library of Medicine is the largest medical library in the world housing 11 million articles of books, photographs, journals, and other types of resources. It's been really interesting working here so far.
When I first started I had to memorize a lot of the information about the exhibition and the Library and now I'm a fully trained docent. Our exhibition mainly talks about global health and it looks at health, or access to health care as a right for all. We have stories from individuals and organizations who created sustainable solutions to health problems, and some of them can be used globally, others only in a few cases. We try to get all of our visitors to see how global health needs to be addressed and that there are so many countries around the world that don't have the same resources that we do. We aim to get our visitors informed and maybe even get involved in this global health community.
Besides giving tours every week about the exhibition to as many people as 200 high school students, I research on a project that the curator of the Exhibition Program gives me. I've been researching a great deal at the Library of Congress which is absolutely fantastic! I get to use the same resources our Congress uses.
Washington, D.C. has been great and it's a lot different than Jersey City and New York City. For one thing the Metro here is actually clean and easy to understand and get around, although it's a bit more pricey. I've been visiting the sites around here. I went to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and got to see the three giant pandas! I've also been to the Newseum, the most interactive museum I've been to so far, as well as the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center.
I got my internship under a program called the Washington Center which I applied to back in February. They place me in an internship that relates to my major, History. We also have to attend seminars where speakers from around the area are invited to speak to us about political issues. Last Monday we had the Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Guttierez, speak to us and he was very interesting to listen to.
I've been assigned three other roommates and our apartment in Maryland is absolutely amazing. We have a great view from our apartment window, our kitchen and living room is complete with furniture and cookware. We also have our own washer and dryer. I feel like I'm living in a five-star hotel, it's so beautiful. We even have an indoor and outdoor pool with a fitness center as well.
In the Washington Center we also have to take a nightly class once a week and I really enjoy it. My class is called Effective Leadership: Lessons from the Battlefield. We analyze the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War and relate it to how people can lead today in the contemporary world. One of the books we're reading for the course is very interesting. It's called Heroic Leadership by Chris Lowney. He analyzes a 450 year old institution and relates it to how companies can learn from them today. Can you guess the institution he writes about? The Jesuits. He describes the basic teachings of Jesuits and applies them to the corporate world. It's basically learning the history of the Jesuits in a fun way. The book was also praised by our past president, Fr. Loughran, SJ and I highly recommend it to anybody who wants to learn more about the Jesuits. It's also simply an interesting read.
So I've been busy the past few weeks with this program, writing papers and journal entries and going out with my roommates (who I'm getting along with very well).
Last June I helped to lead a leadership team from Saint Peter's College in a national conference called Campus Ministry Leadership Institute, or CMLI. It was held at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, another Jesuit college. We worked with other leadership teams from SJU and Cleveland Diocese. The SPC group spent this past semester working on our presentation based on a document written by the Bishops of America to address the mission of Campus Ministries around the country. You can read the document here, called Empowered by the Spirit: http://www.usccb.org/education/highered/empowered.shtml.
We focused on the topics of Forming the Individual and the Faith Community. The whole week was stressful at times and very tiring because we were basically running the whole conference, making sure everybody was enjoying it and preparing for our group presentations. We had about 27 teams from 26 colleges and about 200 students and campus ministers from all over the country. The purpose of CMLI is to help Campus Ministries create and plan a successful program back at their college and implement it. They present their new project at the end of the week and get critiqued by other schools.
CMLI was empowering to me because it showed me how many young Catholics, who are my age, are still passionate about their faith and not afraid to show it on their campuses. Many of the colleges who attended were secular and public. Some of the colleges who attended included Virginia Tech, Case Western University, and San Francisco State. We had a pretty diverse amount of people and I met so many from around the country.
As a leader, we each had small groups which we facilitated in asking basic icebreaker questions as well as facilitating faithsharing. My group was #1 (literally) and they were all really great people. We also had a lot of free time inbetween to explore the beautiful campus and Philadelphia. As a group, CMLI went to a Phillies game, my first professional baseball game ever! And we had a blast-we started the wave and got to be on the TV screen twice! I loved it and it was an awesome experience.
This past weekend was Independence Day Weekend! I was happy because my family drove down to see me. I gave them a tour at the National Library of Medicine. We also braved the crowds on the 4th of July and saw the fireworks at the Mall. I figured, when am I going to have the chance to see fireworks in our Nation's Capital? After an hour and a half of waiting at security checkpoints, we were sitting in front of the Capitol building, listening to the Concert, and watching the fireworks behind the Washintgon Monument.
Now it's back to work and I'm busy researching on my new project. I am really enjoying my job, new friends, and Washington, DC so far. I only hope that I can experience as much as I can before the summer is over.
Saint Peter's Group picture taken for our presentation
The Girls from the SPC Team for CMLI
The whole SPC group with the Bishop of Philadelphia-he said mass for us and I lectored!
The entire CMLI leadership team
At the Phillies Game!
Jumping in the back of Independence Hall
All of us!
My rommates and I (minus the 4th one) at the Washington Center going out
With my future roommate, Jolie and I at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Jolie is doing research in Washington, D.C. this summer too)
My friend Vlad and I at the ZOO!
The cute Giant Panda papa bear, isn't he cute?
Me on the Newseum Pennsylvania Ave. terrace in front of the Capitol Building and Canadian Embassy
My roommate and I in front of the (gated) White House
My family in front of the National Library of Medicine where I work
My family and I in front of the Capitol Building-we were so close!
Fireworks-you can sort of see the Washington Monument sillhouette
The year is over and I still have so much to blog about! I really cannot believe that Sophomore year is over and now I'm a Junior! It's surreal. These past few weeks have been a blur of fun events as well as working hard and finishing up classes. Summer has just begun and I already miss my SPC Family....
So I last left off in April. On April 11-13 I went to Philadelphia for a Campus Ministry Leadership Institution meeting. Saint Peter's College was invited to lead this time along with Saint Joe's and Cincinnati Diocese. The SPC Team now includes: Me, Conrad, Deirdre, Kelly Rose, and Milton Bravo (an SPC alumnus who graduated last year). The weekend was fun and I got to explore another Jesuit college. Philadelphia is a different city and it was really nice to be there especially when the weather was really nice. We presented our presentation about forming the Faith Community and how campus ministry forms the individual spiritually. We received feedback from the rest of the leadership team and we have been working hard to make our presentation even better. I'll be leaving for CMLI next week on May 29. Wish us luck as we lead the rest of the colleges during this important conference.
The SPC Team at St. Joe's
With some of our fellow student leaders
The same weekend we went down to Philadelphia was opening night of Argus Eye's performance of Cabaret. I was able to see the musical twice. It was an awesome performance. My roommate, Veronica Graveline was in it along with many of my friends and they did a fantastic job. The set was beautiful with the orchestra located on the upper part of the set. I had never seen Cabaret and it really is a great show. The show is about an American writer and his trip to Berlin. It deals with a lot of serious issues in history such as anti-semitism, homosexuality, and even abortion. Congratulations to the cast of Cabaret!
My roommate Veronica Graveline with Matt Vieira as Fraulein Schenider and Herr Shultz
Dom Furina as the MC along with the Kit Kat Girls
Sarah Anfora as Sally Bowles and Brandon Hightower as Clifford Bradshaw
On April 13 I got to drink tea with Mrs. Cornacchia. It was a tasteful event organized by Priscilla Marion. We had the chance to speak with the President's wife and get to know her better. Mrs. Cornacchia was the perfect host and the tea and sandwiches were absolutely delicious. The Guarini House is beautiful inside and I'm glad that students have the chance to get to know Dr. Cornacchia and his wife. This past semester I have eaten in the President's house twice with student organizations and they have been a great opportunity to talk with the President.
With Mrs. Cornacchia
The next weekend on April 19 was Open House. We had a great deal of people come and visit the school and our Pavo Members gave awesome tours of Saint Peter's College. Megan Craven and Juan Cardenas had the chance to speak about their SPC Experience to our visitors. Students also had the chance to experience a class taught by some of our Professors. The day was absolutely beautiful and we even had ice cream! I hope that some of the prospective students that I met will be here in the Fall Semester.
The Pavos! There sure are a lot of us....
The Pavo E-Board with our lovely advisor, Cheryl
The next day the Asian American Student Union hosted our annual Sportsfest. It's a tournament that Asian-American clubs from colleges around the area participate in. These clubs look forward to competing in our tournament and win the trophy. This year we held a volleyball tournament as well as basketball. It's the largest event that AASU holds in the Spring Semester. Some colleges who competed were St. John's, UCC, Rutgers Newark and New Brunswick. Our secretary, Kenneth Leomo under the guidance of Leah Orejudos, our senior advisor, organized the events. It took a lot of work from the whole club but it was worth it.
The Volleyball winners
Basketball winners
This year Rutgers Newark won both tournaments! Congratulations!
The next weekend on April 26 was the Magis Conference. It's a conference held every spring semester for the future leaders of the college in the next year. I attended because I will be a Student Senator again next year representing the Class of 2010. I will also be the treasurer for the History Club and student advisor to the Asian American Student Union. The first half of the conference we were broken up into random groups and given different tasks to accomplish. It helped us learn about teamwork and working under a time limit. The second half of the conference was listening to separate seminars held by some of the faculty of the college. Magis means the "More" and is one of the Jesuit traditions to always reach for excellence and generosity. (qtd. in Do You Speak Ignatian?)
On April 27 we had our Pavo dinner held at the end of every semester. We ate at Bertucci's Restaurant by Exchange Place in Jersey City. The food was great and it was an awesome time with the Pavos.
I'm so proud of our Pavos this year. They have worked hard giving tours every week to our prospective students and give up their Saturday mornings to help us with Sneak Peeks and Open House. Most of all I am grateful to Cheryl Schenk, our Pavo Advisor who was new this year to our family and fit in so well with us. She has been so great listening to our feedback and implementing new ideas. There are also a lot of Senior Pavos who are leaving us this year and it's sad to see them go. They have helped our organization so much and we're growing every year.
At Dinner...we're so loud and crazy!
The next Thursday on May 1 the McMullen Chorale held our Spring Concert in Roy Irving Theater. This semester our theme was Pop Music throughout history. We had an interesting collection of music including La Traviata, Fa Una Canzona, Maroon5 in Concert, Proud Mary, Dust in the Wind, and Come Sail Away. Kevin, our director, worked hard and taught us a lot of music this semester. We did so great! I'm really proud of us.
On May 2 I had the chance to see the St. Cecilia Chorus perform once again at Carnegie Hall. Dr. Rabin, my history teacher, gave me free tickets and there were a lot of SPC students who went as well. This semester the performance was Requiem composed by Verdi. As always the performance was stunning and we had great seats. Carnegit Hall is absolutely beautiful and I'm always amazed everytime I see a performance. I'm also grateful to my SPC professors for inviting us to these events.
Some of us students with Dr. Rabin after the concert.
On May 3 Peacock Palooza rocked East Campus. Peacock Palooza is held every year the weekend before finals start. It's like the last big hurrah before all the students leave for summer. Bands are invited to perform and two of our own bands from SPC performed at the beginning and the end. There was free food, t-shirts, and mini give aways. The weather could have been better but the music and the company was good. It was a great time to relax and have fun before finals start.
The Power Rangers
With my lovely Freshmen!
On that same day the Gospel Choir performed in Pope Lecture Hall. They also gave an awesome performance with dancing as well as singing. Their voices sounded strong and beautiful and I'm glad I had the chance to see them perform this year.
Gospel Choir
The next Sunday our Romance Synthesis Class had dinner with our amazing professor, Father DeStephano. We ordered food from a Spanish restaurant and ate in the backyard of the Social Justice House. This year we have bonded learning French, Italian, and Spanish. Fr. DeStephano is an inspiration for us in learning more modern languages. Romance Synthesis has been the most challenging but rewarding course I have taken so far at SPC. Because of this class I now know how to speak basic French, Italian, and Spanish; sing the French national anthem; and conjugate countless verbs. We wanted to thank Fr. DeStephano for his hard work in pushing us to learn and study more. I will definitely miss this class.
Having fun making funny faces with Father....
May 6 was the last day of classes before finals started on May 8. I'm relieved that classes are over. Now we have to concentrate on surviving the next week of finals. I'm glad to say that I did very well in my classes this semester. It's been a lot of hard work and late nights but definitely worth it. Every weekend until the last day of classes I had to write a research paper for my English, History, and Philosophy class. I really should have started them sooner but as a good college student I procrastinated a bit. Now I'm glad that it's all done and over with.
This year I have learned about classical and modern Philosophy. I have also read several interesting historical novels and learn more about the American Revolution. Scientific Literacy with Dr. Petriello was another interesting class. He taught us about the ethical debates going on in the scientific world now as well as environmental issues about the world.
I've also grown especially close to my professors this year. The entire history department now knows me along with other professors. It just shows how small and tight-knit our community is. They have each helped me whenever I have had trouble and sometimes we just talk about different things outside of class. It's great that I can rely on my professors' support.
May 6 was also the day of Junior/Senior Formal which took place in Verona, NJ at Ridgefield Regency. I was lucky enough to be asked by one of my friends, Jonathan. I had an amazing time with the juniors and seniors. A bus drove us to the gorgeous place where we got to dance and eat. I can't believe the year is almost over and the Seniors are graduating in a week!
The lovely girls
With my date, Jonathan
With Dr. Poiani, her mother, and Michaela!
Finals ended on May 13. My last final was an Oral exam with Fr. DeStephano. I was so nervous before! But I survived 20 min. of questions from Father and after that I was free! I had two finals the day before in History and Philosophy. They weren't that bad, just a lot of essay writing. My hands always cramp up during finals time with all of the essays I have to write.
After finals I finally got to relax. On Thursday night I had an icing party in my apartment with some students who were still on campus. We decided to bake cupcakes and layered cakes. We also ended up eating delicious glazed pineapple. I'm going to miss my apartment and definitely my friends over the summer.
Let the icing begin!
One of the cakes we baked-this one was for the McMullen Chorale seniors
On May 17 the McMullen Chorale did our community service. We performed for the A. Harry Moore School-a school for disabled children. We sang on each of the 5 floors for the students. It was another great experience in serving others and living the Jesuit ideal of service. After that we had a farewell lunch with the Seniors and discussed new ideas for the upcoming year.
At the school with some of the children
Finally, Commencement was held on May 18 at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ. I got to participate in singing with the McMullen Chorale at the beginning and end of the ceremony. It's always exciting to see all of the professors in their special robes and see all of the graduating seniors. I didn't realize how many seniors are leaving this year and I'm going to miss all of them. Congratulations to the Class of 2008! You've done so much for SPC and have worked so hard.
Sitting at Commencement makes me wonder of my own graduation, now only two years away. I really cannot believe I am a Junior already. It makes me want to experience everything SPC has to offer before graduating. This year I decided on a a major, SPC inaugurated a new president, and there is so much change going on at SPC. I hope that two years from now I can say that I've done everything I wanted to do and more. But right now I don't really want to think about graduation just yet. That will come soon enough. For now I will enjoy being an undergraduate.
The McMullen Chorale
Next week, like I mentioned before, I will be leaving for CMLI in Philly. After that I will be leaving for Washington, DC. This summer I will be interning at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. I'm a little bit more nervous than excited about the Washington Center. I'm also taking a class about Leadership: Lessons learned from the battlefield starting from the Battle of Gettysburg. I will definitely be sharing my summer experience here on my blog.
Once again, Congratulations to the Class of 2008! For all of the incoming freshman, have fun this summer and get ready for the Fall-and don't be nervous! College is going to be fun and Saint Peter's is great.
Spring is finally here in Jersey City and I'm really excited!
SPC just had our spring break two weeks ago. But the week before that, I had so assignments due before break even started. I had my Romance Synthesis mid-term, an English paper due, and a Scientific Literacy test. I was so busy with everything else and I definitely needed a break.
On March 13 St. Peter's had Battle of the Bands in Jazzman's Cafe (the Pavonia Room). SPC bands were invited to come and compete with other bands for the chance to play for Peacock Palooza on May 3. Peacock Palooza is one of the last events of the year open to all students with free t-shirts and food. I'm on the committee planning it this year and we've been very busy preparing.
Frank setting up Battle of the Bands
The next day, March 14 was Campus Experience! It's planned by the Admissions Office and it's a chance for accepted students for the Class of 2012 to come and visit St. Peter's. They got to sleep over in one of the dormitories with a current freshman attending SPC.
It was a really good time. The students arrived around 4 in the afternoon and we left for SPC around 7. We got to go on a cruise on the Hudson River. We got to pass the Statue of Liberty, go under the Brooklyn Bridge, and see some sights on the New Jersey and New York skyline. I had a blast. The food was great and it was awesome meeting the new freshmen! I love dancing and the dance floor was so much fun. A cruise around New York City is one of the unique things that New York and St. Peter's has to offer. The sights are absolutely breathtaking and it was great to spend it with great people. We got back to SPC around 11 and the students had a chance to go around the freshman dormitories. I hope that everybody had as great a time as I did. Thank you to everyone who came, hosted, and planned this whole event!
The Pavo rendition of the Peacock!
With the Bus 2 Captains!
You can also see more pictures from Campus Experience here:
The day after Campus Experience was the Scholarship Brunch. It was a chance for any of our accepted students with awards to come and visit the school. We had to wake up bright and early and ready to welcome the prospective students on campus. I had the privilege to talk on the panel during the actual Brunch and answer questions regarding student life and academics. Here were my questions:
What are any extracurricular activities offered at SPC?
There are a lot of things to do here at SPC. There are about 40 clubs and organizations on campus with an Office of Student Activities that plan events throughout the year. I'm currently a member of the Pavo Society, Asian American Student Union, the McMullen Chorale, the History Club as well as the Student Senate. I am also very active in Campus Ministry. They offer several retreats throughout the year and other events. There's always something to do whether it's on campus or in nearby New York City. I like to go into the city at least once a week and get to see everything the city has to offer. The one thing I love about the city is Broadway. I'm a big musical fan and I've seen so musicals these past two years including Les Miserables, Chicago, Rent, and Mamma Mia! There's a lot a student can do here and our location is great!
What are your experiences with the study abroad program?
There are many opportunities for students to study abroad. Many can choose to go abroad for an entire semester through several different programs. I'm currently in the process of applying to go to Malta through the ISEP program in the Spring semester of my Junior year. There are also some week-long study abroad programs where students can travel to Europe, Rome, even China with professors and get academic credit for it as a course. There is also another program called the Washington Center which I got accepted into this summer. It's an opportunity for students to intern in Washington, D.C. as well as take a night course. This summer I'm planning on either doing research for the U.S. Capitol Historical Society or for the US National Library of Medicine. I'm really excited for this summer and my plans to travel in the future. What's great about these programs is that you get to experience a different culture, academic experience and work experience. All students of any major are welcome to study abroad.
So that's a little taste of what some of the students said about SPC during the Scholarship Brunch.
The next week our spring vacation started on Holy Thursday, March 20. It was relaxing to be back home. I hadn't been able to go home for a while. Easter was spent at my cousins in New Milford. I love being around all of my family.
Easter Sunday at 1 AM in the morning Doug Demeo, seven other students, and I drove to Kentucky for the Christian Appalachian Project. Saint Peter's College participated in this program last year. CAP helps those in poverty in Kentucky and helps to build/fix their houses and also provides other programs for the unemployed, children, and other needs. CAP Workfest is about 4 weeks long and every week new colleges come to help build and fix houses. I was so excited for this experience! Some of my friends went last year and had life-changing experiences. I decided to go this year and this has probably been one of the best spring breaks I'll probably ever have.
The drive down to Kentucky was about 14 hours. We took the college van and we had a few stops along the way but the trip was soo long! We finally arrived at Camp Andrew Jackson around 3 in the afternoon the next day. The other colleges that attended besides us were: Marshall University, Canicius College, University of Illinois-Chicago, Caldwell College, and the University of Cincinnati. There were about 80 student volunteers in all. CAP Workfest broke us up into 8 teams and none of us were with other SPC students. Instead we got to meet other students from around the country. I was part of the Purple team!
When we got there the long-term volunteers introduced themselves and what we were going to be doing that week. They were all so great and caring. The cooks also fed us very well throughout the week.
On our first day at camp a few of us went hiking around the camp. It was amazing! I hadn't been out in the wilderness in forever. There were little hiking trails that we followed and some of them took us to a lot of beautiful spots. We also started playing volleyball with some girls from the University of Illinois-Chicago. During the week we also got the chance to go canoeing and kayaking! At the end of the week there was a big bonfire and s'mores, of course. Camp Andrew Jackson is definitely a fun camp.
Some people canoe-ing!
Our work began on Tuesday, March 25. Breakfast was at 6:30 every morning and Devotion was always at 7:30. We had to pack our lunches before we left (there were a lot of sandwiches that we could take with snacks). Then we would drive to the worksite. Our worksite was the nearest, only a half hour away. We built this trailer for Donna, a woman in her 30s who already had two strokes and had two children who were 7 and 10. She was the sweetest woman who was softspoken but so nice. Our crew leaders: Jay, Monica, Bill (Wild Willy) were so great. They were patient with us and trusted us. I had little experience with construction before and now I know how to build so many things. Throughout the week we learned how to lay tin on a roof, the difference between a screw and a nail, how to use a straight edge saw and a jigsaw. I got to learn so much on how to build and create a sturdy and strong home. Every detail had to be planned and our leaders were so meticulous with everything. I built stairs, helped put a skirt under the roof, dug holes for posts, cut wood, screwed on spindles, finished putting up the siding and so much more. By the end of the week I was so sore! My body ached all over but it was a little price to pay for what we accomplished at the end of the week.
It was funny because the Purple crew definitely bonded with each other. I was referred to as the "Jersey Girl," and everybody else had nicknames like "Buffalo," "Albuquerque," and "New York." Donna also had the cutest dog named Shorty who greeted us every morning and he kept us laughing when our work seemed so hard sometimes.
The Purple Crew-we signed a piece of the house siding
In the end we helped to build this trailer and make Donna's life a little bit better, but she also helped us in the long run. I felt this experience changed my perspective and in helping Donna she helped me as well to grow as a person of service for others. It was Donna's birthday on April 7 and for her birthday the crew leaders bought her a porch swing which she told Jay she had always wanted. We also built two beds for her children who had their own room but no real bed to sleep in. This program helped me to see the kindness and love that humans can feel for those who are less fortunate.
With Donna on her porch swing
I helped build this porch and set of stairs!
We helped build this roof too
Me with Shorty-isn't he cute?
Me with my construction buddy, Kelly from the University of Chicago-Illinois
There were other events that occurred throughout the week. We got the chance to listen to a Blue Grass band and listen to live country music. The band was so great! Every night we had a time to reflect on the day with our college group. I got a chance to become closer to other students from St. Peter's. Our group was so much fun and really great. Some of our discussions we had were so insightful and I really wish we could share this experience with the rest of the St. Peter's Community.
Kentucky is drastically different from the Northeast. The roads there were so windy and went up and down so fast that even I got a little bit car sick. You could definitely tell we were in one of the most rural parts of the state. The weather there was so nice and I was so thankful for the sun and beautiful weather while we were building the houses.
This experience was truly an amazing and life-changing one. My parents always tell me to be thankful to God for giving me such a wonderful life. I was grateful before this trip but I'm even more grateful now that I've seen poverty in Kentucky and seen what these people experience. Sometimes it's overwhelming for me because I'm only one person and some of the service jobs that I have done in the past seem meaningless to what these workers to for these families in Kentucky. But I have to keep on trying to make a difference whether it's a small job or a big one like this experience. The people down there who lack so much in material make up in their faith and love in God. Donna seemed so happy and optimistic and I hope she will always have that spirit with her. I have met so many great college students who came down to Kentucky to do one thing: to do service for these people. I have created great relationships with a lot of people and I hope to see them in the future as well. I definitely recommend everybody to try to come down and participate in the Chrisitan Appalachian Project. I think I would definitely consider volunteering as a long-term participant in one of these programs. Service is giving to others but you as an individual benefits as well from the experience.
So we left Kentucky on Saturday morning and we got back around 12:15 AM. I was so tired from building and the trip. I'm glad I had at least Sunday to rest and do the massive amount of homework I managed to ignore this week.
Classes started on Monday. I've been busy with so much stuff it seems like I never had a spring break! I had a History research paper due. I wrote about Benedict Arnold and how although he is considered one of the greatest traitors of America, he was still a very good general for the American side.
The first day of Room Selection was on Tuesday, April 1. I'll be living with one of my fellow bloggers, Jolie Hoppe, who will be a senior next year. I'm really excited and we got a really good apartment for next year.
I signed up for classes on April 2. I set up my schedule with my adviser, Fr. Wrynn and I'll be taking two anthropology courses, 1 history course, a political science course and an english elective.
Last Saturday I celebrated my birthday with some of my friends in NYC. I wanted to go see the Bodies museum at South Street Seaport. We ate at a Thai restaurant around the area before going. The Bodies museum is absolutely fascinating! It's a museum that shows real human bodies preserved in such a way that we can see their body parts like muscles, skeletons, the nervous and circulatory system, and so many other parts of the body! It was so interesting, I definitely recommend others to go see the exhbition. It definitely gave me a new appreciation for the human body and a different perspective on life and how fragile it is. After we went to the museum we walked to Battery Park. The weather was absolutely beautiful and I loved sharing the day with my friends in the city.
In front of the Bodies museum with my friends Albert, Rezma, and Casey
This past Sunday the Saint Peter's College Community got to witness the baptism of one of our senior students, Jenny Pavlova into the Catholic Church. It was my first time to witness this type of ceremony and it was so great! It really shows how strong our faith community is here at St. Peter's.
Last Tuesday was my 20th birthday! The Asian American Club called me at 12 AM and told me to come out of my apartment. They bought me a cake and completely surprised me with it. The cake was really good. Thanks to everybody who gave me birthday wishes, it was a great day!
My birthday cake
This week I've been busy with countless Philosophy papers and student elections coming up. I'll be running again to be a Senator for the Class of 2010. This weekend I'll be in Philadelphia at St. Joseph's University at a conference. The conference is for Campus Ministry called CMLI (Catholic Ministry Leadership Institue). A select team of SPC members including Mary Sue, Deirdre, Conrad, and I are going to be showing our presentation on campus ministry in front of college students. The actual conference will be at the end of the year and this weekend will be our first time presenting in front of the people who run this conference. I'm a little nervous about it but I'm sure we'll be fine.
I've been super busy this past semester. It's hard to believe that the semester is almost over.
Next Saturday, April 19 is our Open House! Please sign up and come visit our campus!
It's been a while since I've updated and there's so much to talk about. I've been busy with classes, clubs, events, and unfortunately I was a little sick for a bit. But I feel a lot better now and ready to take on the month of March.
So looking back on February, there were a lot of exciting things that happened.
The International Evening of Song & Dance is held every year. It was a performance created to celebrate the inauguration of our previous president, Fr. Loughran, and it's been a yearly event ever since. It's one of my favorite events of the whole year because it shows how diverse our school is. All of the different cultural groups come together and perform a piece from their traditions. This year it was on February 7 and it was amazing! I performed with the Asian American Student Union and the McMullen Chorale.
The AASU Girls
We had been practicing ever since the semester started. There were so many dance practices that we held and it was difficult getting everything together. AASU decided we were going to perform two traditional dances as well as two moderns. Our traditional dances consisted of the Carinosa, which is the national dance of the Philippines. It's a courtly dance with couples and they court each other with props like fans and handkerchiefs. The other traditional dance was a Men's dance-the Magalalatik. It's a dance consisting of coconuts. It was actually performed to show the conflict over coconut meat between the Catholics and the Muslims in Filipino history. The men keep the beat by beating coconuts tied on their body. We danced two moderns to the songs Rain by Razah and Go 'Head by Ali & Gipp.
The whole performance was about five minutes. Some of our club members, including me, choreographed the dance. When we performed I was so nervous! It's weird being on stage. I remember performing in front of a big audience but I don't remember dancing individual moves. It's like it was a whole blur. But everybody loved the performance and I'm so proud of my AASU dancers!
The last performance was the McMullen Chorale and we sang a few international songs including a Hungarian song and Elijah Rock. Overall it was a great night and I'm so glad that a lot of people came to watch the amazing performances. Here's some video highlights:
Me with Fr. Kuntz and his Nigerian garb
Me with Kevin Cummines, the director of McMullen Chorale in his kilt
My friends in their Indian garb! They look so beautiful.
AASU at the end of our performance
The next day, on February 8, there was a big athletic event here at SPC. It was called Pack the House and the school came together to show our solidarity and support for the fight for breast cancer. Everyone came to watch the Women's Basketball Game, SPC vs. Rider University, and wore pink t-shirts. I sang "God Bless America" along with the McMullen Chorale before the game started. Basketball games here at SPC are fun to go to and really intense. I'm proud to say that SPC won the game and we also got the chance to show our support and service for important causes.
The McMullen Chorale singing
GO SPC BASKETBALL!
Two adorable kids rooting for the team
Watching the game...
That weekend (February 9 and 10) the McMullen Chorale had its first retreat in Cornwall, NY. We left right after the basketball game. The whole weekend was full of song, laughter, and bonding. We're a great group and it was a lot of fun. We learned about five songs. We even had the chance to take a walk around the beautiful area with Fr. Schroth, one of the Jesuits at St. Peter's. For a retreat I really didn't get too much rest that weekend it seemed like-but it was a good time.
Learning some music
Me with my roommate/fellow Soprano, Veronica outside in the beautiful snow
The next week, on February 13, I went with the History Club on our semester service trip. We helped kids make Valentine's Day cards at a school down the road. It was a lot of fun. I always love going on service trips, especially if there are kids involved. They were all very nice and easy to get along with.
Having fun with the kids...
On Wednesday, February 20, the campus was on lockdown due to a threatening note found in one of the buildings. Campus Safety along with the police responded very quickly and I felt safe with this fast response. Fortunately nothing was found and we were all safe to go about our regular schedule.
The next day, February 21, was the Variety Show: "Sorry Walt, we broke the Vault." This was my first time performing with Argus Eyes and I was really excited/nervous. For this Variety Show we had a Disney theme and we sang a lot of Disney songs from many movies including The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Hercules, Beauty & the Beast, and even more. It was a really good performance and I'm so glad to be a part of a talented group.
February 22, Friday, was a SNOW DAY! We definitely got a significant amount of snow and had our first snow day of the year. Unfortunately the Variety Show was postponed, but it was a very good relaxing day. We baked brownies and just hung out with friends the whole day.
That Saturday I visited my best friend from high school, Casey, who attend Pace University in Manhattan. I hadn't seen her in a while and decided it was time to go visit her in NYC. We had such a good time. We went to the Pier right by the Brooklyn Bridge and went to the TKTS booth there. We bought amazing tickets to see a Broadway show-A Chorus Line-for a really good price. Casey took me to this really great pizzeria by the Brooklyn Bridge and then after that went to see the show. It was a very good performance, definitely worth seeing.
By the Brooklyn Bridge
In front of the theater
I actually went home this past weekend for a good rest. I wanted to go see my family and spend some time with my high school friends. I actually saw my brother in his musical, Beauty & the Beast. I'm so proud of him, he did such a good job! It's always nice to see my old high school and catch up with people who I haven't seen in a while. My family's always great and so are my friends.
This week seemed busy as always with so many meetings and schoolwork. It's mid-term week next week and it seems like everybody is busy studying or doing papers. This Thursday I attended the Italian Club's Carnivale. Carnivale is like a big Mardi Gras celebration in Italy with masks and good food.
Us with our awesome looking masks provided by Christina Clarke
This weekend we had our Disney Variety Show again. I'm so glad that a lot of people came and saw it. Argus Eyes, as always, gave a very entertaining performance. I definitely want to do the Variety Show in the future. It's always a lot of fun to perform and watch. My family came and watched my performance last night and I was really excited. I'm sad that it's over, but I'm sure there are going to be future Argus Eyes events.
Performing Everybody Wants to be a Cat
Performing Belle
One of the Improv Scenes
The whole cast singing Beauty & the Beast
In other news: I got accepted by the Washington Center! The Washington Center is a program that students from SPC can apply to and spend a semester in Washington DC. It's an internship program specifically suited for the student and their major. I'm getting history and anthropology credit for this summer's internship. I'm really excited! I've been speaking to my advisor and I'm planning on interning at the Smithsonian Institute. So I'll definitely be updating my blog this summer and sharing all of the exciting things going on in Washington DC.
Right now I'm just busy studying for two mid-terms and writing a few papers. I've had to do quite a lot of work for the past weeks in my classes. I can't believe that the semester is almost halfway over and Easter and spring break are coming up! I really can't wait for spring to start, it's one of my favorite seasons. I just have to make sure that I get all of my work done. So until next time!
Phew, it's the beginning of the semester and so much has already happened!
Classes are going well so far although Romance Synthesis is definitely proving to be a challenge this semester. We've already had three quizzes and we have another one this Tuesday and a lot of vocabulary words in French, Italian, and Spanish.
Two weeks ago on January 21 a number of us went down to Washington DC to protest in the Pro-Life March. A lot of us talked about going down before and we actually got to do it this year! Every year there is a Pro-Life March in Washington DC, it's one of the largest pro-life gatherings in the world.
It's been 35 years since the Roe v. Wade decision to allow abortion. (Roe v. Wade has got to go! Hey hey, ho ho!) I'm obviously pro-life for many reasons and it's interesting as well as disappointing to see that people don't understand why I'm pro-life.
So we left on Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day-we didn't have classes) around noon and arrived in Maryland around 4 in the afternoon. Because there was a small number of us we got to sleep over Fr. Kuntz's sister-Rosemary's house. It was a lot of fun and she was the perfect hostess.
The next morning was the day of the March and we woke up at 6 in order to leave for DC by 7. When we got there we attended a mass held for Jesuit high schools and colleges at St. Aloysius. They provided breakfast there and I was so surprised at how many young people were present. The priest who celebrated mass was ordained only seven months ago and told us about his personal story about going to the Pro-Life Marches since he was in high school.
After mass we walked to where the actual rally was-that lasted for about 3 hours and we were so cold! Good thing I bought hand warmers the day before and they definitely saved our lives that day. We had posters from SPC up:
"Diapers are disposable, Babies are Not"
"How can you say there are too many children? That's like saying there are too many flowers. -Mother Theresa"
After the rally we marched around the capital for about an hour. It was an amazing experience and there were so many people there from around the US. I even saw signs in French and Spanish saying "Right to Life." We arrived back at school arond 9 in the evening-exhausted but happy to have saved some unborn babies.
With Fr. Kuntz and her sister-this was at 6 in the morning so props for the enthusiasm!
Inside St. Aloysius
Conrad holding up one of our signs!
All of us!
On Thursday, January 24 there was a swim meet held at St. Peter's against Iona. I'm happy to report that the men's team won! It was the first time I attended a swim meet here and it was awesome! Great job to the SPC Swim team!
On Friday my cousin had free tickets for a Comedy Club in NYC. I went with my friends from SPC and had an awesome time. The comedians were hilarious-I can't believe I haven't gone before. It's definitely something I'll do more in the future.
My cousins and I outside the Comedy Club
On Tuesday, January 29 we had our first Pavo fun time of the semester! We baked yummy cookies and played Wii Sports and Guitar Hero. It was a fun time for the Pavos with great food and even better company.
This whole week I've been practicing with the Asian American Student Union for our performance next week in the International Song & Dance this Thursday. We're doing a traditional dance as well as a modern-learning the dances is a little hard for me and is definitely a good work out. I'm really excited/nervous for this Thursday-we'll be practicing like crazy until then.
This weekend I had the chance to attend the Montserrat: A Silent Retreat through Campus Ministry. My roommate and I both went. We left SPC Saturday morning and arrived back Sunday afternoon. It was 24 hours of silence-which I thought would be hard for a talkative person like me, but it wasn't really. It was a great opportunity to strenghten my faith. The retreat incorporates a great deal of Jesuit teachings and prayers. Once again the food was amazing and I got to meet some new people as well.
In front of the Retreat House
So now I'm just finishing up some homework and waiting for the Superbowl to begin (GO GIANTS!). This week is going to be a busy week with homework, dance practice and meetings to go to. Until next time...
