Another weekend in Puerto Vallarta?
By Shirin | July 17, 2008
I feel more situated at my new house. Thank goodness I don’t see any gigantic insects in my bedroom or bathroom, and there are less mosquitoes here. My roommates are friendly, yet rarely home. The best part is that I leave my house at 8:58am and get to work by 9:02am, walking. I also have time to go out after work. For example, yesterday, I went to La Gran Plaza, which is a gigantic shopping center. I felt like I was in
I have a friend who works as a flight attendant and has this weekend off. She’s planning to come to
Topics: North America, Internship, Mexico, Shirin, CISB Student | No Comments »
London and Seattle are very different places
By Russ | July 17, 2008
London and Seattle are very different places, but there’s one thing that always reminds me of home here: the weather, in both good and bad ways. Despite the occasional thunderstorm, I prefer breezy, cool summers to hot, muggy ones.
For the summer, I’m working at an accounting (they call it “accountancy” here)/consulting firm called Fitzgerald & Law. F&L is in a downtown London neighborhood called Holborn; most of their clients (about 70%) are American midsize and small companies, many of them Silicon Valley tech firms that have opened UK divisions. F&L offers these companies a wide variety of services ranging from preparing tax returns to HM Revenue & Customs (somewhat analogous to our infamous IRS) to auditing company books to providing a full financial outsourcing solution. This means F&L essentially acts as the accounting department for the client’s UK branch, and can really save money for operations that aren’t big enough to have their own in-house accountants.
A day at F&L is different for everyone. In theory, the workday lasts from 9 until 5:30. Many partners and managers may start the day earlier; today I came into the office to hear that my boss was on his fifth or sixth cup of coffee—and that was the one day I showed up earliest. On the other hand, another manager in our office is a new mother so she often arrives late and leaves early, skipping her lunch break to make up the time. In general, there’s a solid respect for the principle of “you gotta do what you gotta do” when it comes to arriving and leaving as long as you get your work done.
As for myself, I usually get up around 7:15-7:30 (which I’ll probably never get completely used to as I’m not at all a morning person) and leave for work around 8:30-8:40. I take the Underground to Holborn, which is just a couple stops away. The whole commute takes about 20 minutes, with the actual tube ride being only about 5 minutes long. Most of my time is spent inside the stations getting from the platform to the surface or vice versa.
This time of day, the Tube is packed. To me, this simple annoying fact actually demonstrates the resolve of the British people. Read the rest of this entry »
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Another week…
By Shirin | July 9, 2008
Another week has passed by ever so quickly. I went to Puerto Vallarta with a friend from Morelia last weekend. It was amazing. We explored the beaches, snorkeled, hiked up a mountain to see the waterfall. The interesting thing about this 
waterfall is that many Puerto Vallartans take pride in it and promote it to tourists. As Washingtonians, we are surrounded by gigantic waterfalls and tall mountains, so to hike all the way up a mountain wearing flip flops under the scorching sun was not as exciting for me and my friend as it perhaps was for others. Especially since the waterfall was only about 40 feet tall. Either way, the experience was wonderful.
What fascinated me so much was the nightlife. Both locals and tourists spend evenings out dancing until three or four in the morning. The great thing about it was the environment. In Seattle, spending an evening out requires constant attention to surroundings to ensure safety, whether it be from other cars, thieves, or those who had too much to drink. In Puerto Vallarta, families went out together. They walked along the streets with children late at night and there were much fewer police officers roaming the premises.
The mornings at Puerto Vallarta were gorgeous. We could see to the ends of the sky and through the depths of the ocean. The afternoons were another story. Since this is the rainy season, both afternoons it rained. I don’t mean droplets of rain over a spring meadow. I am talking about the kind of rain that resembles that of our shower water pressure in the states. In a matter of thirty minutes, the streets flooded with water and cars were swimming instead of driving. By morning, all the rain had washed into the ocean (leaving long streaks of contamination, bad for tourism).
It’s interesting to visit a town thats main revenue comes from tourism. The people will work three or four different jobs in the town to make money. I met someone who sold horse rides and boat tours during the day, and worked the bars at night. What we may consider a ‘temp’ job in the states is what many Vallartans do for a living.
This weekend, I’m going to be moving into my new place. Can’t wait!
Topics: North America, Internship, Mexico, Shirin, CISB Student | No Comments »
Life as a Mexican, from an American Perspective
By Shirin | July 3, 2008
I have almost completed my third week in Mexico. I love it here! Let me begin with a little bit about the environment and activities outside the workplace.
Bus:
I live a bit far from the American Chamber of Commerce, so I struggle with the bus rides every day. It’s not that the distance bothers me, rather the inconsistency of the buses. Believe me, we will all be grateful for the King County Metro if we experienced the transportation system here. Despite its tardiness, it’s rather a fun ride. In the evening, clowns, guitarists, singers, and whatever other talent imaginable hop on the bus and perform circus acts, sing songs, and play their instruments. It’s just another form of asking for donations as we often see on the streets of Downtown Seattle. In terms of speed limit: There is none. And I would caution you when crossing the streets because the vehicles have the right of way.
Housing:
I live with a very nice family near downtown Guadalajara. My host mom cooks so I have been eating all kinds of Mexican food, which is delicious. Breakfast is a bit different, however. Generally, in the states, our breakfast consists of milk, cereal, coffee, etc. Something sweet. I eat quesadillas, omelettes, beans, etc. Dinner is usually very light and we eat around 9:30pm. I think host families are incredibly useful for exposure to the language, culture, and are a great support system. I did not once feel alone or lost because I always have a family to come home to who also helps me with finding bus routes, shopping centers, etc. However, because of the difficulty of going to and from work, I have found a house to rent a room only four blocks away from work. I will be moving in one week.
Culture:
It’s super different. I see less difinition in terms of structure here. Allow me to explain: For one, I did not bring a Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: North America, Internship, Mexico, Shirin, CISB Student | No Comments »
My last post
By Elizabeth | May 26, 2008
This was my last week in
This weekend I took a road trip to the north of
The next day we drove to
The next morning we took the long drive home; this time in daylight. I really enjoyed seeing the countryside. Being in a city for so long its great to get out into the countryside. The olive farms are really beautiful, we stopped to taste a raw olive…not a good idea, I don’t recommend it. We made it back to
Done with finals and heading home in a couple of days, this will be my last blog. Thanks so much for reading. I have really enjoyed my experience and feel incredibly lucky to have had this opportunity.
Topics: Elizabeth, UW Exchange Program, Spain, Europe | No Comments »
Time has flown by…
By Neal | May 19, 2008
Time has flown by and I can’t believe how long it has been since my last post. Finals just finished up in 
it is time to head back home. School out here has been a unique experience out here all the way through finals (which take place in a giant gymnasium with about 800 other students). I really took advantage of being in a new place by venturing outside my comfort zone and trying some classes that had absolutely nothing to do with my major, and instead focused on topics like Singapore business law and Asian history.
can’t wait to visit many of them in the future.
As other blog posts have mentioned, one of the best parts of studying abroad is being able to experience other countries and traveling.
If any of you have any questions about
Cheers,
Neal
Topics: Singapore, Neal, Asia, Business Exchange Program | No Comments »
A Truly International Experience
By Hans | May 5, 2008
Why limit your exposure to only one foreign culture when you can study abroad in the
The
The common language is of course English, so while it’s nice to learn Dutch, it’s totally unnecessary. Though seemingly a minority, try to meet at least a few Dutch students. The Dutch have got to be some of the nicest people in the world and are always willing to help you out or show you around (and they’ll happily do it in perfect English).
My Recommendations: When in the
Also, travel! The
If you can, try to come during the spring. With a maritime climate, the
Topics: Netherlands, Hans, Europe, CISB Student, Business Exchange Program | No Comments »
Morocco
By Elizabeth | May 2, 2008
This weekend I took a trip to the country of
We started our journey in
The next morning we got up early and headed to the city of
On our final day we headed to Chechaouén. It is a very small city way up in the mountains. Our tour of the city was breath taking. Their neighborhoods are all painted one shade of blue or another; there are also magnificent views of the countryside below from almost anywhere in the city. The center of town is the cathedral and a bunch of cafes where the locals all sit and drink tea. Its something you need to see for yourself but I really hope to return someday. I am so glad I took that trip it was a last minute thing for me but sometimes those turn out to be the best.
Topics: Elizabeth, UW Exchange Program, Spain, Europe | No Comments »
Aprile a Milano
By Jenepher | April 18, 2008
Ciao everyone,
April at
Last weekend I went to a soccer game and it was a blast. This was something that I was looking forward to when I came to
So next post I’ll have the results of two suspenseful events. Bocconian midterms and the
A presto!
Topics: Jenepher, Italy, Europe, CISB Student, Business Exchange Program | No Comments »
Primavera en España
By Scott | April 10, 2008
It has been six weeks since my last post, and I have been very busy as always. I have done many things and gone on several adventures since my last update. Everything is going well and there is definitely never a dull moment here. School is going very well. I am still learning many things in class and outside of class. I wrote my last post just before going to Ronda with my friends Oli and Fabien. It is said that Ronda is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and I would have to say, it certainly is. It is a lush green oasis in the middle of a very brown and yellow Andalusia. It is an ancient Arabic style town situated on top of an enormous cliff over a green farm valley. There is a beautiful old stone bridge connecting the new and old parts of the city over a very narrow but deep river gorge. It is also the birthplace of the modern bullfight. While we were there we took a tour of the famous Plaza de Toros (bullring) - it was very cool to see. We also tried to take a hike through the valley but as usual, we got lost. After avoiding several killer dogs, crossing a live railway and walking along a main highway we decided we had too much fun and headed back to town. But the weather was excellent and the scenery even more so. We spent most of our time just relaxing, which wasn’t difficult to do. All in all, a very successful trip.
After returning from that trip I just stayed in Granada for a few weeks anxiously awaiting the arrival of Emily (my girlfriend)! I managed to stay fairly busy with school, tapas, siestas, playing soccer, watching soccer, and hanging out with friends. One day a few of us went to the beach (an hour away by bus), which was a lot of fun. The week before Easter is a very big holiday week in Spain - they call it Semana Santa (Holy Week). Which, for me meant “No school all week!” and “it’s impossible to buy anything because everything is closed.” It was a very interesting time. Every day they have religious processions throughout the city, which are basically just parades with marching bands, people wearing traditional costumes carrying candles, and men carrying giant altars from various churches. Each day and each procession is supposed to tell the story of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. I watched a few of them during the week and got trapped by a few others as I was trying to walk somewhere else. The most exciting thing for me during the week of Semana Santa (besides March Madness beginning) was Emily’s arrival! She came in on the Wednesday of that week. Although one day that weekend we took a day trip to the Alpujarras in the Sierra Nevada. Since I had been there before we were able to successfully navigate the trail that Oli and I got lost on back in October. The weather was very nice and we had a nice time. But this trip was just a warm-up for bigger things to come. It has been very fun to show Emily some of my favorite spots around the city. I have even discovered some new things and places that I hadn’t known about before. She has been 
enjoying herself very much and she is even learning some Spanish – both from me and from our Rosetta Stone computer program.
The last weekend in March and Emily’s second weekend in Spain was our three day trip to Madrid! Prior to this I had only ever seen the airport and the bus station in Madrid, which doesn’t say a whole lot for the city itself. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Scott, UW Exchange Program, Spain, Europe, CISB Student | No Comments »
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