"If you drank from the Nile, you will return." ~Lena Abdelhamid, Cairo, Egypt

Being an Egyptian American student, I always wanted to find ways to become closer to my culture. Whether it was being friends with Egyptians in the states or visiting Egypt during the summer, I took any opportunity to find a way to stay close to my heritage. However, summers and making a handful of Egyptian friends was never enough.  After taking an Arabic course that the College of Staten Island offered, I became excited to discover more ways to truly feel Egyptian and keep working on making myself more culturally aware. I came across AMIDEAST through Queens College and knew this was the program that would give me the chance to see Egypt. It was a chance to visit places I have never visited, be closer with family members I unfortunately only saw very briefly during vacations, and most importantly, make a home in Egypt.

Taking three intensive Arabic courses, an Arab Spring Course and a Development in the Middle East and Northern Africa course, I became more aware of all current events going on during my stay. I learned in depth things about the revolution that happened in 2011 and that the news in the states would never teach students. It was such a raw experience witnessing Egyptians protest in streets together after Friday prayer to fight for their freedom and make history. Being there to witness history being made and watching the full election process until their new President was elected was an honorable experience. It was a moment where I felt Egyptian.

I made some of my closest friends on this trip that I plan to keep in my life forever. As they discovered new things and places with me, it made my trip to Egypt more memorable. Having summer experiences with family helping me get places or speak to people in Arabic to buy something or just being on a beach was keeping me away from having a memorable experience. Being there for the full semester, my friends and I discovered new things daily. I built courage to go out and explore and get a sense of what it was like to feel Egyptian. My American friends embraced the culture, and loved trying new foods or going to new places which made me admire their effort and courage to explore a place they were unfamiliar with, too. They all had amazing moments meeting Egyptians and being in this country at this crazy time.  Now, we talk about how we all want to go back for summer vacations because of how amazing our experiences were. This place now holds a part of us that we all want to experience. Another experience I was blessed to have was being in touch with family more often. I was able to stregthen older bonds and make new ones, which was amazing. 

There is a saying in Arabic that translates to, “if you drank from the Nile, you will return.” And I feel like that is destined for us all for our different reasons. The country is truly an amazing place, with so much to explore and so much to see. People once thought this place was all sand and the pyramids, but once you leave, you learn that as a city that literally never sleeps, there is so much beauty behind the chaos. Being a part of this program was life-changing. I couldn’t have chosen a better time, place, and people to do this program with.

The Sights of England ~Stephanie Randazzo, London, England

An experience to keep with you forever is a wonderful thing and an amazing opportunity. That’s why I knew studying abroad through CSI was the right choice for me. I wanted to grab the chance as soon as possible, which is why I decided to do it at the end of my freshmen year. Knowing exactly where I wanted to go made things that much easier. The place is England, United Kingdom – it has been a dream of mine ever since high school. Luckily CSI made it possible for me to reach that dream through attending Middlesex University in England.

When I applied to this program I didn’t know anyone else that was going, but knew that it would be a great learning experience for me. I had never left the country before, but this brought more excitement than nerves. There is so much out there to see and learn about in the world. The perfect way to learn new things is firsthand, which I was able to do with this program. However, I was able to meet one other person from CSI who was also going to Middlesex University. Right away, she and I got along, so we decided to book our flight together. That made the six and a half hour flight a little more enjoyable by having someone to speak with.

Once I arrived in London, I couldn’t wait to get out and see all of the sights. Although I was a bit jet lagged, that didn’t stop me from wanting to see things right away. We had a welcome dinner that night and were able to mingle with others in the program. I met people from all over the world, including Germany, Austria, and Hong Kong. Everyone was extremely nice and all had the same excitement to be someplace new or someplace they once visited but wanted to explore further. One of the first things that everyone was told is that London is only a twenty-five minute tube ride from our campus. This makes it easy for everyone to just hop on the shuttle and experience the short tube ride during night or day.

The program that I choose to do is five weeks, and I am currently on my third week of being in London.  The sights that I have seen so far are completely marvelous. For example, the second day here I saw Big Ben and the London Eye. The line to get onto the London Eye looked a bit long, but it actually moved fairly quickly. It consists of a forty-minute Ferris wheel ride overlooking London and allows you to take some amazing photos. Along with having the freedom to see any sights I please, the University also put together excursions for students in the program. My favorite trip so far has been the one to Stonehenge and Bath. I’ve always heard people speak of these places and how wonderful they are. Well, we were lucky enough to have the University plan out a trip for all of the students. Within just an hour and a half I was able to see one of the most amazing sights in the world.

One of the things I love about Europe is the train system and how it is very easy it makes travelling. The trains run frequently and have fairly decent prices. For example, I booked a day trip to Scotland. I will be able to see Edinburgh, which I was also told is fabulous. Another part of Europe I will be visiting is Paris, France thanks to the University putting together an optional trip for that. Not only am I fulfilling one of my biggest dreams by being in England, but I am also travelling to other countries within Europe!

This trip has taught me a great deal about myself. I have been able to learn about new cultures and meet people from all over the world. Overall, I suggest to anyone who has ever considered going outside of the country to take an amazing opportunity through CSI to accomplish this. Even if you haven’t thought about going out of the country for study abroad, I highly recommend considering it due to the wonderful time you will have and all of the places you could see. This has truly been a life changing experience that I will cherish forever.

España…¡VENGA! ~Ryan Weitzel, Santander, Spain

Hello from Spain!

My name is Ryan Weitzel, and I´m currently involved in a one month study abroad program in Santander, Spain. Hopefully after having read a bit about the different programs offered through CSI you´ll take advantage of one of these great experiences.  Study abroad programs are one of the best ways to see the world, meet people, and learn a new language.

I found out about the Center for International Studies at CSI during my fall semester of 2011.   I had just started taking Spanish 113 at that point, and I was also trying to pick my major.  After taking Spanish 113 and coming to the realization that I enjoyed learning this new language, I decided that I wanted to do a study abroad program. After looking over the many different programs, I decided that a summer in Spain was the one for me.  I then prepared for my trip by taking Spanish 114 during the winter semester, and 213 during the spring.  I left from New York on the 29th of June and arrived here in Santander on the 1st of June after a short ten hour trip.

Santander is the small charming capital of the region of Spain called Cantabria.  It´s located on the North Coast of Spain and is honestly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  There is also an unbelievable amount of stuff to do here.  You can go spelunking, surfing, rock-climbing, kite-surfing, snorkeling, salsa-dancing, sailing, and shopping all in the same week if you were so inclined.  It can be very relaxing or very exciting; the choice is up to you.  Also, in my opinion, the town is the perfect size; from the campus you can walk to either side of the city within 10-20 minutes.

The university I’m attending here is La Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP).  The college itself is awesome.  The classes are small and cater to all levels of Spanish, but the professors are what make it so great.  Most professors are locals but others come from all over the globe.  They are a mix of male and female, young and old. They are enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and extremely personable.  My only real worry when traveling here was interacting with the professors. I had heard that is was very formal and much different than in the States.  This is not that case; I´ve never been so comfortable with my instructors.  The classes are fun and interesting, too.  Language class is from 9am-1pm on Monday-Friday and the rest of the classes you get to choose once you get here.

Although most of my friends here stay in the dorms on campus, I chose to do a homestay.  The dorms are really nice - they have security, they´re clean and they also have common areas where students can meet up to hang out or study.  If you can though, I´d go with a homestay. It´s much more personal, and I think you get a better taste of the culture.  I stay with an older lady by the name of Julia, and I´m only a ten minute walk from campus.  She makes me breakfast in the morning, and she also does my laundry every two days.  She´s extremely sweet, incredibly kind, and I think she really likes me. She speaks no English, but we have a lot of fun communicating with each other.  We get by without any problems whatsoever.  The language barrier is actually a whole lot of fun.  I will admit, it was a little awkward for the first two days, but I settled in right after that and now I´d have it no other way.  I´m able to come and go as I please, and all she asks is that I don´t waste electricity and that I lock the door when I leave.  All my friends that are doing homestays have fantastic families as well; the families do this because they like having people in their homes.

If you have even the slightest itch to study abroad you should absolutely do it.  I´ve only been here two weeks, and I´ve already made a ridiculous amount of friends from all over the world.  The only unfortunate part is that now I have to come up with a way to visit all these people once we return back to our homes.  But honestly, I love exploring, traveling, eating, drinking, and studying with all these different people.  I mean, how many chances will you have to fly to Milan, Italy for the weekend because one of your Polish friends mentioned it at dinner the week before?  If you don´t break out of your shell now, then you never will. Take a chance, be brave, and do it now while you´re still impressionable.  Well, I guess that’s all for now…time to take the ferry to Somo with the Dutch girls to surf. ¡VENGA!

Summer in Shanghai ~Bertha Bustos, Shanghai, China



Group visit to Volkswagen

Jin Mao Tower View - Jin Mao has 88 floors and is one of the tallest skyscrapers in Shanghai.



Tiger Hill in Suzhou





Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai



Returning to Europe ~Anthony Manzi, Study Abroad Peer Advisor, Rome, Italy, Spring 2010 and Florence, Italy, Spring 2011

 As a first generation Italian American with family scattered throughout Italy, Switzerland, and Spain, I figured I would one day visit Europe, but never thought I would get the chance to study and live in Italy for a full year! Ciao, mi chiamo Anthony Manzi. I’m a senior at CUNY College of Staten Island, and I studied abroad in Rome during the spring semester of 2010 and in Florence during the spring semester of 2011. After living on Staten Island for a number of years you get the feeling of being cooped up in a small place with a whole world out there to explore.

The first time I ever stepped foot in Europe was Fiumicino International Airport right outside of Rome. I will never forget my first day living in a different country, taking on the great adventure that is the Eternal City, meeting my five other roommates, making new friends and meeting locals of Trastevere and Monteverdi (neighborhoods of Rome).

After living in New York and frequenting Manhattan on almost a weekly basis you already have a sure feeling of how living in a major city would be – skyscrapers, fast living, lots of people, sightseeing, etc. – until you arrive in an ancient city such as Rome, with world famous structures and sculptures such as il Colosseo, la Fontana di Trevi, la Scala di Spagna, la Piazza del Popolo, and of course the center of the Roman Catholic Church, la Citta del Vaticano. These historic structures, a couple of them even considered some of the greatest sites in the world, are places you don’t get to see very often in your life, let alone live by them!

While living in a travel hub, with a schedule of 12 credits and decently difficult classes, I had a good amount of schoolwork to do, but also some time to travel throughout the great continent of Europe. I’ve visited eclectic cities from Madrid, Spain to Paris, France to Sofia, Bulgaria to Athens, Greece to Dublin, Ireland, and many more, including the Islands of Malta and the Canaries. Each country, but more specifically each city, has its own unique culture and lifestyle to it, which I’d rather you find out on your own and not spoil it for you!

Since the beginning of my initial study abroad experience in Rome of Spring 2010, I believe that the travel bug has bitten off more than it can chew when it comes to my expeditions- gazing over the snow covered Swiss Alps, sailing on a private yacht around the azure Mediterranean islands of Malta, island hopping right through the scenic Greek Isles, wine tasting throughout the province of Tuscany, even enjoying a cold one at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. Travelling has become a big part of my life, so much that I have recently acquired a job for the fall semester of 2012, with one of Europe’s best student travel companies, Bus2Alps. Not Only will I be able to live in Europe once again, I will be travelling every weekend and work as a tour guide - not to mention getting paid to do what I love! So, for any of you students that are thinking of studying abroad in Europe, hopefully, I will see you on the other side. Arrivederci e Buona Fortuna a tutti!

Taurine 2012 ~Victoria Papazian, Marrakech, Morocco

In the days leading up to our trip to Morocco I was both excited and extremely nervous. The only time I had ever traveled abroad was with my mother and aunts and the thought of doing it without them scared me. However, having my classmates along for the ride made me feel much better. The flight there was as smooth as anything and when we finally landed in Casablanca it was still dark out. After going through customs and border patrol, we finally got to go outside. I can’t even begin to explain the sight of seeing the sun rise in Casablanca. It was breathtaking. On our bus ride to the hotel from Casablanca we were introduced to the Hassan II Mosque. This mosque was incredibly beautiful with the ocean shore and bright blue sky as a background.

The whole purpose of the trip was to attend the 18th International Taurine Conference. The conference was very informative on the effects of Taurine on different organ systems, as well as its effects on a wide variety of diseases. We were fortunate enough to have a wonderful planning committee to put all of our dinners and excursions together for us. One excursion brought us to a “carpet store.” This wasn’t just any carpet store - on all four walls were carpets of all different colors and patterns. After one of the store owners spoke, the workers rolled out all different rugs for us to look at and purchase.

We had another excursion that took us shopping, so we would be able to purchase gifts for family and friends back home. We also went to the Djemaa el-Fna which is a large square and market place in Marrakech’s medina quarter. It was amazing to see so many people selling different goods and the children running around together playing games.

  

We went to two different dinner events. The first was Kaftan night when all the female students were given beautiful kaftans in different colors and designs. One dress was more stunning and ornately decorated than the next.  All of the girls looked like princesses. The other dinner night was Chez-Ali, which reminded me of Medieval Times and Aladdin. Each of the dinner rooms was beautifully decorated with different colored silks. Outside of the dinner rooms was a large terrace that had an arena in the middle where performers did riding tricks on horses and donkeys. There were camel rides and belly dancers as well as other performers who came into the dinner rooms and did dances for us while we were eating.

In the time we had to ourselves, we explored the area around our hotel. The scenery was beautiful and breathtaking at every turn. It was such an experience to be able to travel to Morocco with such wonderful people. Professors El Idrissi and L’Amoreaux did so much for us that enabled us to thoroughly enjoy our trip. I’m so thankful to have been able to go on this trip. I’ll never forget my spring break in Morocco and will tell stories about my trip for years to come.

La Dolce Vita ~Cathrine Bernardo, Study Abroad Peer Advisor, Florence, Italy, Winter 2011

During one summer when I was six, my family and I traveled back to my home country. I remember being on the plane and loving every minute of it. I specifically remember asking my grandma if we had explored all of the Philippines. She said to me, “Oh my, no! There is too much!” I argued that I do not want to leave without seeing it all and that I will keep coming back until I do! My grandma calmly smiled at me and told me there were so many other places and countries to see and visit. And traveled I did.

I was fortunate enough to travel all over the United States because of where my cheerleading competitions, my brother’s basketball games and tournaments, and my sister’s dance competitions were located. My family and I also took annual family vacations. But taking on the United States (and parts of Canada) was not enough for me. I wanted to go to a place where it could not be reached by driving a car, and would take hours to get to by airplane.

At 21 years old, I finally embarked on my journey to Florence, Italy. This time around, no family or posse of cheerleaders; just me. While most people would tremble at the thought of traveling into another country, let alone flying solo, I found it exciting and adventurous! Moments before I boarded, my anticipation had built up so much, it became hard to handle. I squealed as I entered the walkway to the airplane, and I am sure all the other passengers thought I was just a bit crazy. I could care less; all I kept thinking was, “I’M GOING TO BE LIVING IN ITALY FOR A MONTH!”

(Fast forward from my flight to landing in Rome) Taking my first steps in this Italian airport in Rome felt like I had just been hit by a whirlwind. Not only did my lack of sleep start to set in, but I remember feeling like I was in a trance. People were moving so fast all around me and talking in different languages. That’s when the panic started to set in. “What do I do? Where do I go? Where are my bags? Oh my gosh, I’m not fluent in this language!” Those where the exact thoughts that crossed my head.

I stayed still for what felt like a couple of minutes, but in reality, it must have been just seconds. My heart felt like it was beating so hard from my chest that anyone who was close enough could hear it. Luckily for me, a little girl (who must have been no older than 6-7 years old) tapped my hand and politely said my bags are on the floor. For some reason, this small, nice gesture made my panic disappear, and I was back to my calm, cool, and collected self. I said thank you very much to her, and she replied, “Prego.” That made me so excited because she was my first encounter of a real Italian!

Her parents came over from behind and smiled at me. Francesca’s dad, Giuseppe, knew right away that this was my first time in their homeland. They offered to help direct me where I needed to go and what I needed to do before taking car service to meet up with my friend. It must have been fate that brought them to me, that I dropped my belongings, that little Francesca had stopped to talk to me; without them, I believe a whole different sequence of events would have occurred, which definitely would not have had the same outcomes. Before we parted ways, Giuseppe gave me a few tips and advice, but what really stuck out to me was that he told me to make sure I live “la dolce vita,” the true Italian way.

It was during my morning class that Stefania, my Italian Language I teacher, brought up the phrase “la dolce vita,” which translates to the sweet life. To live “la dolce vita” means to live in love and happiness. And supposedly, this is why Italians do everything in a calm and relaxing manner. Stefania also said that this way of life makes sense because constantly running around and being stressed is no good; there is no time to appreciate everyone and everything all around you. Italians like to concentrate on the present, but do reflect on the past, and always hope for the best in the future. 

While I kept this in the back of mind, for the first week and couple of days after, I did not live the Italian way in the truest sense. Even though I believed I did by traveling to different places and being exposed to so many new things and experiences. During the middle of my second week in Florence, I decided to go running on my own without any of my roommates (Not only where they getting tired of me forcing them to go, but they also started claiming there was not enough time for it). I am grateful, though, that I decided to go on my own because it was during this particular run in which I discovered what living “la dolce vita” meant for me.

My run started with the regular route I’ve taken previously. For some reason, I felt like I was discovering something new and seeing something different with each stride. Then I started noticing different streets and pathways that I could swear on my life were never there. I was feeling adventurous and curious to see where all these new paths would take me. Now, when I explain what I found to others, it will not sound like any groundbreaking discoveries, but to me they seemed that way. I felt overcome with the same joy, excitement, and sense of magic, most likely similar to how Harry Potter felt when witnessed for the first time the brick walls rearranging themselves to a doorway to Diagon Alley. I got so caught up in my “discoveries” that not only did I lose track of how many miles I was running, but also lost track of how long I was running for. That’s what prompted me to look up and notice that the sun was starting to set.

I went home exhausted, but refreshed at the same time. I also felt accomplished because I ran for the longest amount of miles and time I ever had, despite the fact that I did not know the exact numbers or time. I remember thinking to myself that not once did I look at my watch or timer! This sort of “high” that I felt, appreciation for what had happened, feelings of satisfaction, feelings of accomplishment, feelings of being blessed by Florence’s beauty... all of this combined- that was my sweet life and I had experienced it! So this is what it means to truly live in the present.

Now, some of you may still be confused about what I mean or what it means, this “la dolce vita” way. That’s perfectly okay; it is something that you will have to find all on your own. You can see, hear, read, and study all about it, but until you discover and experience for yourself, you won’t ever genuinely understand it.

My advice? The best I can offer is to tell you to study abroad. Let go of the fear of what might happen and all the things that can go wrong, and just leave! (Mind you, there are precautions that must be taken in order to ensure your safety.) You do not necessarily have to be Italian to live this way; it can be adopted by anyone! You don’t even need to go to Florence. Maybe you don’t even need to go to Italy (although I highly recommend it if you want to see this lifestyle being lived firsthand). To live “la dolce vita” is to embark on a journey of self-discovery in finding and living in happiness, peace, and love. However, in order to start, you have to start somewhere, other than where you are right now. Buona Fortuna!

The Beauty of Fukuoka ~Michael Gigante, CSI Exchange Ambassador to Japan

日本から　こんにちは！　私の名前は　マイクル　ジガンテ　です。私は　西南大学の　留学生　です。どうぞよろしくおねがいします！　日本が　大すきです。たのして、おもしろいです！　スタテンアイランドに　かえりたくない！

What, you don’t understand Japanese? Okay then!

Hello from Japan! My name is Michael Gigante, and I am an exchange student at Seinan Gakuin University. It is very nice to meet you! I love Japan. It is very fun and interesting. I don’t want to return to Staten Island!

Fukuoka, Japan is probably the most amazing city on Earth. I don’t say that very lightly, and I can’t really pinpoint one specific thing. From the language, to the people, to the general atmosphere - Japan is just incredible. The only thing I dislike so far is the fact that time seems to be moving so quickly! One of the coolest little things by far, and something that tells me I am in Japan every day, is the view from my room. Can you see the picture? Mountains! It is absolutely beautiful.

Probably one of my favorite places to visit in Japan is Fukuoka’s Castle ruins, right next to Ohori Park. It is absolutely the most beautiful place in the city, and from the top you can see the entirety of Fukuoka. It really shows off the beauty of the city. The architecture is also incredibly interesting and is nothing like European castles. For one thing, the walls are sloped, which makes them a little easy to climb…don’t ask how I know that, but it raises such interesting questions on the nature of siege warfare in Japan!

The language is also incredibly interesting. I didn’t realize this until I came here, but there are almost like three separate languages within Japanese. First is the very polite form you use to superiors, second is the polite form you use upon meeting someone for the first time, and third is the friendly form. A good example of this can be shown with help of my favorite words: まじ、and ほんとですか.  Both have similar meanings, but the first, まじ, cannot be used to superiors. It basically means: “are you kidding me???” Whereas, ほんとですか, means: “really?” It’s a lot like English, but honestly, I don’t even know any words in extremely formal Japanese, and it feels like such a daunting task to actually have to learn three ways to say a lot of things.

とても　おもしろいね？

(Very interesting, right?) Oh wait…

The people are also very cool here, and probably one of my best Japanese friends is a Japanese student named Yuki. He lives at my dorm, but does not go to Seinan Gakuin. He is a fashion student, and we have seen some of his work at student fashion shows. A few weeks ago, I held a birthday party for him in my room…it was a little cramped, but it was a lot of fun! After, he was so grateful that he gave me a small tub of jelly beans. It was very nice of him, but…I hate jelly beans…

おわりました！　ありがとう！　またね。

(I’m finished! Thanks! Until next time!)