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Brian McMahon
Panda Handling and Sociological
Studies in India, China and Hong Kong
Hyderabad, India—Having finally left my home away from home at the University of Hyderabad in India, it feels somewhat strange that my time there has come to an end. As alien as the environment I was in may have seemed at first, by the time I left I had become accustomed to it more completely than I could have realized. I have met up with Michael Nekrasov (another PRIME student and foreign correspondent).
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Wildlife, Poverty and Occasional Chaos in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, India—After a quarter of preparing and about 32 hours of travel time, I have finally found myself in the City of Hyderabad in India. I am spending nine weeks here living at the University of Hyderabad and working on a data streaming system for a tsunami early-warning system. I’m here with two other PRIME students, Matt Mui and Dee Chen, who are working together on another project involving protein bonding inhibitors. We’re all living in one of the university’s international student hostels (the Indian term for what we would call a dorm) with other students from around the world who are visiting the university.
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About Brian
Brian McMahon is working at the University of Hyderabad in India on a data streaming system for a tsunami early-warning system. In the past month, he has discovered India’s wildlife and also got a glimpse of the poverty that still plagues part of the country. He is in India as part of UC San Diego’s Pacific Rim Undergraduate Experience (PRIME).
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Jessica Hsieh
Discovering Human and
Architectural Treasures in Malaysia
Penang, Malaysia—Still reeling from the effects of jetlag, I begin reminiscing on the past two months. Although I have been home for only a few days, Malaysia now seems to be a place so distant. Yet, it is quite funny to say that home feels out of sync to the lifestyle I have been used to for the last two months. I hop into a car to get anywhere, following the red and green lights along the road. It feels weird that I barely walk to get to places now at home; I have been so used to running across the street after a quick right-left-right check. Going to buy things reminds me how strange it feels not being able to hear numerous dialects and see store signs in multiple languages. Walking under the Californian sun and not breaking out into sweat is a refreshing, yet also a slightly odd, change.
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Enjoying Great Food, Meeting New People
and Learning About History and Culture in Malaysia
Penang, Malaysia—A little past the halfway point with my time in Penang, I would have to say that meeting the “International Buddies” and other international students is probably one of the best things that happened to me here. The “Buddies” are local students that attend Universiti Sains Malaysia; they not only provide answers to questions I have but also take the time to make sure that I am adjusting well and having fun.
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Getting a Taste of Malaysia's Cultural Mix
Penang, Malaysia—After 20 hours of flying and an overnight stay in a transit hotel in Singapore, I have finally arrived in Penang, Malaysia. “Saujana” means beautiful in Malay, and it’s a name quite fitting for my hostel, due to the view it offers. Every day, I wake and fall asleep to the sunrises and sunsets reflecting across the Strait of Malacca, the water channel between Penang and the mainland. Due to the hot, humid, Malaysian weather, I am covered in sweat by the time I arrive at work, though it is only about a 15-minute walk away.
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About Jessica
Jessica Hsieh is a junior, who studies bioengineering, and more precisely biotechnology. This summer, she is working to improve influenza treatments. She is in Malaysia as part of UC San Diego’s Pacific Rim Undergraduate Experience (PRIME).
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Michael Nekrasov
Contrasting Cultures and Terrains while Trekking in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China
Kenting, Taiwan—My time in Taiwan has expired, and now I am on the last of my grand adventure. With my internship over, I am now traveling Hong Kong, China, and Japan. I currently write to you from a quiet hostel in a small village in the rural countryside of mainland China. From the patio, I can see the peaks of steep karst mountains jutting out of the rice fields. I am surrounded by little baby chickens and the sound of cicadas that seem to follow me whatever country I am in.
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A Typhoon and an Eclipse
Bring Home the Importance of Nature
Kenting, Taiwan—As I write this article, a major typhoon is making landfall. A few days ago, we saw the last sunset we would see in days as the sky turned blood red and we watched the sun melt into the rough waters as warm moist wind howled around us. Already, incredibly strong wind lashed rain at the windows.
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Discovering Corals, Water Buffaloes
and Fried Frog in Taiwan
Kenting, Taiwan—On the morning of June 21, I stepped onto the tarmac and boarded a tiny American Eagle flight that would take me to Los Angeles, then Tokyo, and then eventually Taiwan. That is when my latest adventure began. I am a bit of a globetrotter. I love learning about new cultures, and adjusting to new circumstances. Every chance I get, I come up with new ways of getting myself out of my cozy suburban dwelling and out into the world—cheaply. At first, this summer was looking like a bust.
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About Michael
Michael Nekrasov, is a senior studying computer engineering. This summer, he is in Taiwan, where he is helping engineer a system that will allow researchers to study corals in real time. He is in Taiwan as part of UC San Diego’s Pacific Rim Undergraduate Experience (PRIME).
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Ramya Chitters
World Shrinks and Appetite for
Adventure Grows after Summer in Australia
Melbourne, Australia—I am now an official PRIME alumnus, making the whole experience seem like it was so long ago, even though I just got back a week ago. I miss my daily routine of going to work, hanging out with everyone during lunch, doing crosswords and going in for coffee after (although, I must confess I don’t drink coffee, so it would be going to do daily quizzes with those who like coffee), working again and then heading back all bundled up in our jackets to our hotel. The eight weeks I spent this summer in Melbourne has become one of the most memorable summers not only because I was in Australia (which recently on the Forbes list was one of the top five places to be), but because it was the perfect combination of work and play.
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Making Friends and Enjoying Life in Australia
Melbourne, Australia—It’s been over a month and half since I first stepped into the winter weather of Melbourne, but time seems to have flown by so fast that I can’t believe I have less than three weeks left here. So, that must mean that I have been thoroughly enjoying my time down-under. It is weird really, the fact that I got used to a new lifestyle in less than a month, me, the person who loved her lifestyle back in the States. I would most definitely attribute this comfort level in Australia to the people around me: friends, cousins, people in the lab and even our hotel staff.
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Flexing Her Brains and Touring Australia
Melbourne, Australia—After nearly two weeks of being scared that I wouldn’t be able to go to Australia for the PRIME research program due to visa issues, I finally boarded the plane at San Francisco International Airport on the last day of June (Australian time), trading a hot summer for a cold winter down under. However, after being here for less than a week, I can quiet honestly say that Melbourne is a quite welcoming town. Coming in a week later than the others, I definitely was a little flustered about the workings of the place, especially since I was still reeling from the effects of jet lag.
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About Ramya
Ramya Chitters is a senior majoring in biotechnology. This summer, she is studying the tissue that layers heart cells. She is in Australia as part of UC San Diego’s Pacific Rim Undergraduate Experience (PRIME).
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Scott Boehm
Unearthing Atrocities in Spain
Madrid, Spain—I have participated in six mass grave exhumations in Spain over the past two years, as part of my work as an interviewer for UC San Diego’s Spanish Civil War Memory Project and as a volunteer for the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory. This summer, I had the opportunity to take part in two mass grave exhumations. In July I went to Milagros (Burgos) as an assistant to a television crew filming the exhumation for a British documentary, and in August, I was part of the archeological team in Villanueva de la Vera (Cáceres).
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Interviewing Survivors of the Spanish Civil War in Madrid
Madrid, Spain—Some shared with me stories of survival in concentration camps. Others have demonstrated their commitment to revolutionary ideals in the face of great danger. Several talked about how desperately they want to locate the remains of a family member in one of the hundreds of mass graves scattered across Spain.
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About Scott
Scott Boehm is a graduate student working in Spain to record the testimony of survivors of the Spanish Civil War. Boehm has worked on the project since the summer of 2007, with Luis Martín-Cabrera, an assistant professor of literature at UC San Diego, and other volunteers.
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Veronica Fuog
Archives
Discovering Women's Lives and
Women's Empowerment in Tanzania
Arusha, Tanzania—After taking three planes and traveling for 36 hours through three different continents I finally stepped off the plane with my best friend into the crisp night air of Tanzania. At the airport, we got our residence visas and went through the quickest security check I’ve ever experienced. A smiling man had his dog smell our bags and asked a few simple questions about their contents and our stay. At that point, we were so excited to be in East Africa but had no idea what to expect.
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About Veronica
Veronica Fuog is an economics major and international studies minor at UCSD. She has spent a month in Tanzania with the Arusha project, a nonprofit organization that works to promote HIV/AIDS relief and gender equality in Tanzania.
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Cristina Farkas
Archives
One Last Fiesta in Cadiz
Cádiz, Spain—And just like that, the Global Seminar in Spain está terminando. When I arrive home, I expect lots of people will be asking me questions about the origin of flamenco and where they can see “real” flamenco. Americans have this idea that gypsies from the East brought an ancient dance to Spain, and after the invention of the guitar, they developed modern flamenco.
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Learning to Love Flamenco and the Spanish Way of Life
Cádiz, Spain—Hola from Cádiz, España! I’ve been here studying for almost a week, in the 3,000-year-old city called Cádiz, with the linguistics Global Seminar on Spanish Dialectology and the Art, Culture and History of Flamenco. It is such a privilege to study both Spanish dialects and flamenco in this port city, which was instrumental to both the golden age of flamenco and Spain’s exploration in the New World. The seminar lasts one month, so I have tried to immediately immerse myself in the Spanish way of life, which has led to both education and self discovery!
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About Cristina
Cristina Farkas is a senior at Eleanor Roosevelt College, majoring in psychology. This summer, she is exploring Spain and the art of flamenco during one of UCSD's Global Seminars.
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Lana Tamalpas
Archives
Another Side of America:
Service and Active Citizenship in Appalachia
Appalachia, Virginia—Appalachia. As a native San Diegan, on the opposite side of the country, I was worried. I had no idea what to expect when I heard I was going to a conference at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg on “Access and Isolation in Appalachia.” What I got were new friends, a renewed passion for community service, and the best leadership training I have ever received.
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About Lana
Lana Tamalpas usually leads students to far away countries as a coordinator of Alternative Breaks at UCSD. This summer, she got to learn about a whole different world right at home, when she worked with nonprofit organizations in Virginia.
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Shandy Pinkowski
Archives
Getting to Know Cádiz,
Its Landmarks, Its Food and Its People
Cádiz, Spain—Arriving in Cádiz was a paramount experience. I had to get here by air, by train and finally by bus, but the Andalusian city by the water was worth the extensive travel. I am here to take a five-week seminar on the art, language and culture of flamenco, with UC San Diego Professor John Moore.
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About Shandy
Shandy Pinkowski is an international studies and sociology major. This summer in Spain, she is discovering flamenco, Spanish culture and food.
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Jade Kwan
Research Results and Rural Ramblings in Japan
Toyko, Japan—Before I knew it, I was pushing my two 22 kg suitcases through Kokubunji, the Tokyo suburb I grew to know so well. I had only been here for two months, but the trip to the airport truly felt like I was leaving home. I knew, however, that I had much to look forward to back in Honolulu reuniting with family and friends.
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Getting Used to the Japanese Lifestyle and Landscape
Toyko, Japan—After being in Tokyo for more than a month, the question I have been asked most frequently has been, “How is Japan?” I could simply answer with “great!” But one word really would not do Japan justice. Tokyo, one of the world’s most populous cities, is said to fit the population of California in a space about the size of the big island of Hawaii. It is one of those got to see it to believe it facts.
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Navigating Life in Another Country
Toyko, Japan—I’m sure past and present PRIME students can agree that it wasn’t until the very moment they stepped foot in their host countries that it hit them: this summer would be special. Sure, it was easy to share with family and friends that I was going abroad for a summer internship. But with my stuffed backpack and my laptop at my side, I began my experience in Tokyo, Japan, with one word in mind: surreal. The very first obstacle I faced was meeting up with Isabelle, the other PRIME student working at the National Institute for Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
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About Jade
Jade Kwan is a junior majoring in cognitive science and more precisely human-computer Interaction. In Japan, she is perfecting her ability to build 3D computer models. She is in Japan as part of UC San Diego’s Pacific Rim Undergraduate Experience (PRIME).
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