In attending this zoom event, I wanted to take in as much as possible because it is different to see US-China relations being covered in a news setting vs. the academic talks we get to see on campus. Obviously, with the pandemic, relations have continued to be fraught. However, I was glad that the talk focused on some of the areas of concern that both countries would like to see improved like trade. But, despite being an economics major, I was more interested in how the talk didn’t shy away from all the human rights abuses China has been involved in. All that to say, that we could definitely bring up many human rights abuses for the US too. I think that the future of the US-China relations will remain highly competitive and that any trust that existed before the pandemic has greatly diminished due to the handling of the pandemic on both ends, especially in relation to each other.
Month: April 2021
International Festival
I really enjoyed attending the International Festival this year! I missed these kinds of international events that I would fill up my schedule with freshman and sophomore year. These are events I will always remember in getting to learn about other cultures, speak with others in connecting through our diverse backgrounds, and of course sharing food.
Global Engagement Day 2021
The Global Engagement Day took place on Wednesday via zoom.
This is my fourth year of being in the Global Engagement Fellowship, and the meeting was a little bit of a trip down memory lane for me. I remember first meeting the older cohorts of students, hearing about their study abroad experiences, and having so many questions for them. “Why did you study abroad? What type of program? How did you get credits transferred? Do you have any advice? Would you do it again?”
Their experiences were so exciting and inspiring to me. And even though this Global Engagement Day was different (thank you Zoom), I got a taste of being on the other end of that. It’s so fun to hear about other’s experiences abroad because I know how challenging and overwhelming and exciting the process is. Even before studying abroad, I loved travel stories; now I could listen to them forever.
I spent some of the time swapping travel stories with another GEF friend about vising Prague and Christmas markets in Europe – how fun is that? I am grateful for this fellowship that has inspired me so and allowed me to see so much of the world.
International Fetival
It is always a pleasure to attend large scale international events at OU. My first time was attending the Eve of Nations my freshman year. In the same vein, the International Festival did an excellent job of showcasing the variety of backgrounds present here on campus. My favorite part was sampling various international foods. In my travels, I have always found food to be the great adhesive between cultures. An experiential language of tastes that transcends words and language. For those with the language skills, shared meal times also create the opportunity for cultural exchange and dialogue. I find that it is in this time of full bellies and euphoria that those of differing cultures can let their guard down and by partaking in the shared experience of cuisine.
Philosophenweg
I have an old Marco Polo to my parents from my time in Germany saved on my phone. In it, I, with backpack and raincoat on, am announcing to my parents that I didn’t have any plans for the morning and was going to go “adventuring.”
Don’t get me wrong – studying abroad alone is really difficult. And in many ways, I was more than ready to return home at the end. But after some time has past, I find myself feeling so nostalgic for living in a place where so many new sites and experiences were within walking distance.
On the particular day that I sent the Marco Polo, I was heading to Philosophenweg, a place that I frequented often. It is a path on the north side of the river in Heidelberg, called the “Philosopher’s Walk” for the rumored famous thinkers of the Romantic Period who walked the path. According to Britannica it, ” takes its name from the university professors who found the view conducive to intellectual pursuits.” It’s not hard to see why – from the walk there are the beautiful views across the river onto the already-ancient Heidelberg Castle, the ascent to the Philosopher’s Garden, and the woods beyond – there’s plenty of “scope for imagination.”
Beyond the Philosophenweg, the trail continues into the woods and up the hill behind, where a slew of old stone ruins are located. In another direction, the trail branches and winds along the river to the next town and beyond. I spent a lot of free time exploring these trails. The walk was one of the “must visits” for friends and family who came to visit me. And it was the last site my friends and I visited before heading home. I miss it and I can’t wait to return
The trail beyond Philosophenweg 
Sunrise walk on Philosophenweg our last week in Germany
Study Abroad Stories
I greatly enjoyed this year’s GEF day in spite of the difficulties of COVID. In particular, it felt nice to be able to share my experiences with the next generation of GEF students. It reminded me of my time as a freshman at OU attending GEF day and being enchanted by the stories of others and their studies abroad only serving to make me more excited for my studies to come. It really highlights the power and importance of mentorship in education and the way that this program enables students to find that mentorship and help one another.
Les crêpes
L’autre jour, une de mes ‘cousines’ est venue chez moi, et nous avons fait des crêpes. Nous avons passé le semestre en France ensemble, donc ce repas était nostalgique pour nous deux. De plus, elle a souvent fait des crêpes avec sa famille en grandissant en Europe de l’Est. La recette est tellement simple, mais le résultat est délicieux. Voici la recette que nous avons utilisé :
- 400 g de farine
- 4 oeufs
- 2 verres d’eau
- 2 verres de lait
- 1 pincée de sel
https://cuisine.journaldesfemmes.fr/recette/312498-crepes-simples
Ce repas me rappellera toujours de mon temps en France avec mes amis et ma ‘cousine’ ici en Oklahoma.
UWC Culture Night
Ce mois, j’ai assisté à l’évènement culturelle « Resilience », organisé par le groupe de ‘United World Colleges’ à OU. A cet évènement, il y avait des performances musicales, un défilé de mode, des danses, des récitations de poèmes, et plus. Une performance exceptionnelle était la danse d’un groupe de danseurs africains. J’ai trouvé le rythme et l’énergie de cette performance très amusant et agréable. De plus, le défilé de mode m’a intéressé. C’était fascinant tout d’abord de voir tous les pays d’où vient les étudiants de UWC. Je l’ai trouvé également intéressant de voir les habits traditionnels de ces pays.
Une de mes ‘cousines’ a performé un chant traditionnel serbe. Ce chant est chanté acapella, et c’était d’une beauté envoûtante. Voici les lyrics en tant que la traduction :
Serbe :
Pijani momci prolaze
Duž naše tihe ulice.
Oni u vojsku polaze,
Prate ih tužne curice,
Brinu ih slutnje sulude:
Da rata ne bude.
Ne mogu da me ne sete
Suze na vrhu nosića,
Devetsto-osamdesete,
Ulice Brane Ćosića
I voza crnog k’o da s njim
Zauvek odlazim.
Znas šta,
Neka mora sve potope,
Nek’ se glečeri rasture,
Večni snegovi otope,
Pa šta,
Neka kiše ne prestaju,
Neka gromovi polude,
Samo rata da ne bude.
Znas šta,
Nek’ se doba preokrenu,
Nek’ se zvezde uznemire,
Nek’ se planine pokrenu,
Pa sta,
Vetri nek pomahnitaju
Nek’ se vulkani probude,
Samo rata da ne bude.
K’o zlatni prah
Oreol sna,
Oklopnih malenih glavica,
I tvoja ljubav ranjiva,
Čuva ih kao lavica,
Loše te vesti uzbude,
Da rata ne bude.
Znas šta,
Neka mora sve potope,
Nek’ se glečeri razvale,
Večni snegovi otope,
Pa sta,
Kiše neka ne prestaju,
Neka gromovi polude,
Samo rata da ne bude.
Znas šta,
Nek’ se doba preokrenu,
Nek’ se zvezde uznemire,
Nek’ se planine pokrenu,
Pa sta,
Vetri nek pomahnitaju,
Nek’ se vulkani probude,
Samo rata da ne bude.
SAMO DA RATA NE BUDE,
LUDILA MEĐU LJUDIMA,
VELIKI NUDE ZABLUDE,
PLAŠE NAS RAZNIM ČUDIMA
I SVAKOJ BAJCI NAUDE,
DA RATA NE BUDE.
Anglais :
Drunken boys are passing
Through our silent streets,
They’re leaving for war
As girls greet them in sadness,
Worried by sorrowful thoughts.
Just let there be no war.
Tears are flowing on your little nose
and I can’t help thinking
to nineteen eighty
in Branimir Ćosić street
and to the black train, too,
as if I went forever away with it.
And I tell you:
Let the seas sink down,
let the glaciers break asunder,
let eternal snows melt down
and still
let the rain fall unstopped,
let there be lightning and thunders storms,
just let there be no war.
And I tell you:
Let time go backwards,
let stars go wild in the sky,
let mountains be displaced
and still
let winds blow the world away,
let volcanoes awaken,
just let there be no war.
Like golden dust,
like a dream aureole
on children’s head,
your endless love
defends them like a lioness,
you’re troubled by bad news:
let there be no war
And I tell you:
Let the seas sink down,
let the glaciers crash down,
let eternal snows melt down
and still
let the rain fall unstopped,
let there be lightning and thunders storms,
just let there be no war.
And I tell you:
Let time go backwards,
let stars go wild in the sky,
let mountains be displaced
and still
let winds blow the world away,
let volcanoes awaken,
just let there be no war.
Just let there be no war
no madness among people
the Big offer delusions
frighten us with miracles
and do all fairy tales harm
Just let there be no war!
