Hi Everyone!

We've reached crunch time at SOAS. On the 21st of March I have a 3000 word essay due in each one of my classes (four total). These essays are each 50% of my grade in the respective classes, and so that means there really isn't much room for slacking off. That also means that the majority of my time recently has been spent in the library doing research.

The Champions

Because all my classes are centered around the Middle East, there is a tremendous amount of overlap between each of the paper topics. My history paper is about the Reform movements of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Unless you are a history nut, that might seem like a boring topic. However, when my Islam essay is about the immigration of muslims to the UK and United States in the 20th century, one quickly sees the connection of the failed reform movements that lead to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the immigration of Muslims to western countries like the UK and the USA.
Like I have said in previous posts, the strong connections between all of my classes leads to a very well rounded view of the region.

In other non academic news, the Football (soccer) team that I joined through the school just won the league championship this weekend. It was a beautiful day and I have met some great kids on the team.

Finally, in another unrelated matter, London has been working on a new transportation project called Crossrail. it is meant to connect many of the towns south east of the city to central London. Apparently this is Europe's largest Underground project ever undertaken.

I have only seen parts when I pass certain station, but it looks very impressive

Take care. Next time I talk you I'll be on vacation and hopefully have a little more to say.

Hi Everyone,

I don't really have any new pictures to share today. I am about half way through my semester, and so I think it would be helpful to look back on the semester thus far. I have had so many great experiences, but that does not mean there haven't been struggles.

This Map might be a little dated and not entirely accurate
but it gets across how I feel in class sometimes

First, I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to focus on one region of the world. The Middle East region has so much history, and I have never really had the opportunity to study before. The combination of History, Religion, Economics, and Management provides a well-rounded view. However, the combination does an amazing job showing the complexity of current events in the region. Like I said, I could not be happier to have this opportunity to concentrate on the MENA region, but there have been some hardships.

It is a blessing and a curse that I get to study these topics with so many natives of the MENA region. The blessings are obvious. I love the the first hand knowledge that students can provide to a discussion. The struggle is feeling so far behind them. I now have a vague idea of how some CMC students must feel when they take GOV20 but are not from the United States.

The DR Special

Living in London has also provided some challenges. For one, I have had to cook on my own for the first time. I have enjoyed this for the most part. To me, cooking dinner is a relaxing, but still productive, way finish a long day of classes and studying. The challenge comes from having to plan out a week of food on a budget. This is clearly a very good skill to have especially having only one more year until graduation. My way of dealing with this challenge has worked out very so far. I make sure I get the nutrition I need, but also try to keep the meals simple. Especially being in London, I want to make sure I have money to go out and experience the city. By keeping my meals cheap and simple in my flat, I have the money to go out to eat or grab a few drinks with my friends, and not feel guilty for spending too much money.

Which brings me to my last topic I would like to discuss at this half way point in the semester. Again, I have been very fortunate to make several new friends while in London. Many of them also attend small liberal arts colleges in the States so I hope to keep in touch after the semester ends. Before I continue, I want point out that I have had this conversation with a number of study abroad students... The struggle is experiencing so many amazing places without the people closest to you.

Italy with Elaina

As amazing as the people I've met are, I have still only known them for under two months. It is a weird way to see a new part of the world. Not with your best friends or family, but with people you have just met. This became especially obvious when I travelled to Italy to see Elaina.

Although I label them as 'struggles' I really do appreciate the necessity to step outside my comfort zone. I can't wait to look back at the end of my semester and see if I still have the same struggles, how I continued to deal with them, and if any new one arise.

Hi Everyone!

This post is going to be a little different than the first post. The reason for this is that I am currently in Italy! I have a week off from classes at SOAS so I'm taking advantage of the fact that it is very easy to travel around Europe. I flew into Pisa where I met another CMC student currently studying abroad in Siena, Elaina Faust.

There is not much to do in the Pisa, besides the tower, so it was perfect for a half day before we took the train to Florence. Florence is an amazing city with so much to do. Elaina and I filled our weekend going to the Uffizi museum where we saw some of the most impressive renaissance art including Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" painting. After that, we scaled the countless stairs of the Duomo where we got a beautiful view of Florence and the surrounding countryside. No day is complete without Gelato and classic Italian meal of pasta.

Today we went to the Accademia and saw Michelangelo's David. The sculpture is honestly unbelievable. I have seen countless pictures of the sculpture in my life, but none are able to capture the size and detail of the piece. First off, it is 5.17 meters (16.96 feet) which is impressive in its own right. However, what makes the sculpture so amazing is the detail. When you look closely at his hands and neck you can see the veins exactly where you would expect, especially after just having slain Goliath. Unlike many sculptures, Michelangelo carved detailed eyes as well. It really puts every other sculpture I have ever seen to shame.

Following the Michelangelo theme, we then hopped on a bus to visit the Piazza di Michelangelo. This is probably the best view of Florence, and we were lucky to have such a beautiful day to enjoy it. Below you will see many pictures we took here.

Apologies for not writing about my experiences in London, but I had to take the opportunity to talk about such an amazing weekend in Italy.

Hi Everyone!

A lot has happened in the two weeks since my last post. The amount of different things to do in London continues to amaze me. I am beginning to settle in with my classes and starting to get to know my classmates. Outside of class, I have joined the Football club, the Squash club and the Hummus Society. These have been great ways to meet full time students. Many of the Londoners have only heard American accents in movies so they seem very excited to meet someone who actually speaks like that. I have gotten some weird questions about America like, What is KoolAid? Do you own a gun? and my personal favorite, "Can you say water?" (just so they can laugh at accent).

Other than the accent, there have also been some confusion with terminology. I was laughed at by a bartender when I asked where I could find the restroom. He replied with "Sorry mate, this is a pub not a hotel." I guess its true that you don't take a nap there. From that moment I have always asked where the toilets are, and if you want to avoid the embarrassment of some bartender laughing at you then ask for the toilets or gents/ladies. I'm sure this won't be only cultural mess-up while I'm here, but it is funny to look back on.

Lastly, I would just like to defend America's weight reputation. There are two McDonald's within eyesight of each other down near King's Cross. 'nough said. They do all seem newer than the ones I've been to America, but other than that they are very similar.

I'll talk to everyone soon!

Nick Pounding a 3000 year old Statue

Tower Bridge

Globe Theater 

Tower of London with Lindsey, Elena and Jen

Tower of London

Classic Beheading at the Tower of London

Crossbowing

Tower Bridge from the Tower of London

Tower of London

Hi Everyone,

I've been in London for almost two weeks now and it has been a blast so far. Hopefully future posts will be more interesting than this, but for now I would just like to acquaint people with what I am doing in London this semester. As my adventure continues I am sure there will be plenty of new ideas that I will want to share with everyone, but these past two weeks have been such a whirlwind that I feel I am only now getting my feet planted back on the ground.

The SOAS Building

After arriving in London on the 1st of January (a fitting time to start my adventure) I have been meeting many new people from all over the world. For those who do not know, I am studying at SOAS this semester. SOAS stands for the School of Oriental and African Studies, and it is part of the University of London system. It is located on western corner of Russell Square (pictured below). SOAS is home to the UK's research library on the topics of Africa, the Middle East, South and South East Asia, and The Far East. When you think about the size of the British Empire at its height, this library becomes one of the best places in the world to study these regions, and I plan to do just that. My entire course load will be concentrated on the Middle East and North Africa. What makes SOAS unique is the number of international students that attend the school full time. More than 50% of the students are from outside the UK which makes the discussion very well rounded in terms of perspectives.

Russell Sq from the SOAS building

But forget the classroom for a minute. London is amazing city. I still have yet to take the tube, and I have only taken the bus twice, but that has not stopped me from exploring much of the north side of the city. It is a very walkable city, and I have walked from my flat near King's Cross Station to Piccadilly Circus to the "City" to Angel. This makes sightseeing just part of everyday life. On top of that, world class museums and galleries are free to the public, and again because of their massive empire, they have amazing pieces from all over the world. The possibilities are endless in this city, and I have barely even scratched the surface. I can't wait to see what the next 6 months have in store, and I hope everyone who reads this blog enjoys it as well.

Lastly, I would just like the thank the Butler Family again for their generous donation to Claremont McKenna's Study Abroad Office. Without their generosity, my adventure would not be as exciting. One day I hope to be able to pass this generosity forward so that other students can enjoy the same experience I do.

 Every few months this statue at Trafalger Sq is replaced. This blue rooster represents is here to represent the long and complicated relationship that the English have with the French

Trafalger Sq.
The top of the statue at the top is of Lord Horatio Nelson. he was only about 5 feet tall but the statue is 15 feet. Our Tour guide joked that the statue is in a 3:1 Horatio. Such dry British wit

View of Piccadilly circus from a distance. 

The British Museum
Its only a half a block from my school!

Bloomsbury Square Gardens

Bloomsbury Sq Gardens
Russell Square was the front yard of the Russell Estate and this was the backyard. It became too low class for the Russell Family so they moved out and turned there estate into flats... to make more money...

Enough Said

The Royal Court of Justice

Entrance to the 'City'

Australia building
I guess parts of Grinngotts bank from Harry Potter was filmed inside

Covent Sq Market 

Picture from Trafalger Sq. the London Eye in the background

A proper British meal.
A wild boar sausage roll and a pint of Guinness

Leicester Sq.
Its a very touristy place with a very lively night scene