Junior Year Abroad Network 2011/2012

Letters

Australia: A Religious Country?

August 2, 2012
With parents who both grew up in devout Catholic families, attending church weekly and looking to prayer in times of need, my siblings and I have always considered...

The State of Religion in Rome: It’s Complicated

June 14, 2012
During and since my time spent abroad, people have often questioned me about the religious presence in Rome. However, I often have difficulties in formulating a...
1 Comment

Islam and Catholicism: The Unofficial Official Religions of Turkey and Poland

June 8, 2012
I had a few weeks off between the end of my classes and the beginning of my exams here in Poland, so I got to go on vacation with my mom in Turkey. Part of the reason...

On the Private Practice of Religion in China

June 8, 2012
Before traveling to China for the semester I spent a week with family friends in Seoul. Driving around the city, it was impossible not to notice the crosses littering...
1 Comment

I am Here to Learn: Navigating the Stereotypes of Americans in Ghana

June 1, 2012
Darkness had fallen on Nzuelzo, the village on stilts in the Western Region of Ghana. It was the most remote and rustic trip my friends and I had made yet. While the...
2 Comments

Traditional Medicine in the Lowlands of Bolivia

June 1, 2012
On the front of Naturalist Don Francisco’s office door there is a quote that reads:
“…sus hojas sirven de medicina…” (“…his leaves serve as medicine…”)

The full...
2 Comments

Non-Christians are Fighting for Equal Representation in the UK

May 31, 2012
I was inspired by Danielle Lee’s JYAN letter Christianity Across the Pond to consider the topic of Christianity in Britain, although from a different perspective. Two...
1 Comment

Increasing Internationalism is Creating New Issues of Race in China

May 31, 2012
With its fusion of ancient traditions and increasingly modernizing society, Chinese culture has been intriguing, confusing, and at times, downright frustrating. Since...

Reconnecting with My Polish-American Identity

May 31, 2012
I stood on a gravel path between two perfectly straight rows of gravestones, hands shoved into my pockets as I tried to hide from the blustering wind. Despite the...

On Botho, a Binding Social Force Amongst the Batswana People

May 31, 2012
Understanding the concept of botho is the single most profound understanding I have gained from my study abroad experience in Botswana. Botho incompletely translates...
2 Comments

The Spanish Say No to Economic Austerity

May 30, 2012
Coming to Madrid, I knew that Spain was one of the countries hardest hit by the euro zone crisis, but was still surprised to find such widespread resistance to the new...
2 Comments

Faith Helps Rwanda Forgive

May 29, 2012
My last post detailed how the Catholic Church was a site of mass killings, and an institution that fueled the tensions that led to the genocide by politicizing...
1 Comment

Ethiopian Jews are Struggling to Assimilate in Israel

May 29, 2012
Israel, though known as the land of the Jewish people, is extremely diverse. One of the most fascinating populations within Israel is the Ethiopian Jewry. Israel's Law...
1 Comment

Theatre Offers Solutions to Subdue Political Tension in Jordan

May 25, 2012
Walking along the streets of Jordan’s capital, Amman, it is easy to spot the red- and white-checkered scarves that men often wear wrapped around their heads. The “...

Judaism: A Tolerant France Despite a Turbulent History?

May 17, 2012
Today the Jewish community in France is estimated to be upwards of 480,000, making France the home to the third largest Jewish population in the world (after Israel...
2 Comments

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa

May 14, 2012
One of the scariest things about having my time in South Africa quickly coming to an end is that there is so much I still need to learn about this place. When I...
4 Comments

The Roma People and the Italians: A Strained Relationship

May 14, 2012
If you are studying abroad in Florence, or another major city in Europe, I would be willing to bet that you have been warned about being pick-pocketed in crowded areas...
1 Comment

The Light of the World, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Blitz

May 8, 2012
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelations 3:20)....

Values Voters in France's Presidential Election

May 8, 2012
As the clamor from the wild celebrations roared on out in the streets following the 8:00 PM official announcement of victory for François Hollande, candidate for the...
2 Comments

Forging a National Identity through Language

April 28, 2012
Made infamous by the terrorist organization, ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna or “Basque Homeland and Freedom”), Spain’s northern region of País Vasco has a history of...
1 Comment

The Importance of Social Class in Ecuador

April 16, 2012
Before heading to Quito, an Ecuadorian friend warned me about the importance of social class, saying "It's a really big deal over there." Although I didn't pay much...
2 Comments

Religion Provides Education and Welfare to Hong Kong's Secularizing Society

April 13, 2012
Despite its status as China’s Special Administrative Region (SAR), Hong Kong comes with a separate set of rules. I recall when I was in Shanghai last summer where I...
1 Comment

Feminist Movements Give Voice and Protection to Women in India

April 12, 2012
Growing up in any culture in the world, it is frustrating to see that women have often had a subordinate role to men throughout time. Only in the recent century have...
2 Comments

Lago Titicaca

April 5, 2012
Aymara legend says that the sun itself, as well as the god-king Viracocha, was born from the waters of Lago Titicaca; the beginning of time was sourced from this 3808m...

Great Britain’s Midlife Crisis

March 30, 2012
Apologies for the corny title but I couldn’t think of any other way of articulating what I am attempting to describe. In my last letter, I presented a great many...

¡Oscar Romero…Presente!

March 29, 2012
On March 24, 1980, Oscar Arnulfo Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador, was assassinated while giving Mass on a Monday evening in a small chapel. Although the bullet...

The 3,000 Year Resiliency of the Nowruz Holiday

March 23, 2012
Over the past week, I've had the privilege of celebrating what is certainly one of the most enduring holidays on Earth. Nowruz (or Noruz, or Novruz, or Nawruz, or many...
1 Comment

Visual Language from the Classical to the Catholic

March 23, 2012
As a classics major studying in Rome for the semester, I have focused extensively on the importance of art and imagery in the classical world. In a city where you are...
1 Comment

Navigating the Religious-Secular Divide on an Israeli Bus

March 18, 2012
On my commute home from work, on the highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the bus broke down. Tired and eager to get to a Ma'ayanot (yeshiva, or Jewish study, for...
2 Comments

French Language Thrives in the Face of the "English Boom"

March 18, 2012
The language barrier is an experience common to most study abroad students, not to mention expatriates, people working overseas, or even tourists just out to...
3 Comments

The Same Language is Different: Experiencing Language and Culture in Australia

March 17, 2012
Look both ways before you cross the street!

Prior to embarking on my Australian journey, I had many assumptions about what my experience was going to be like. I...
4 Comments

London Shows Signs of Hope for Engaging Difference

March 16, 2012
As soon as I started studying European migration at Georgetown, I was presented with the idea that the United Kingdom and United States have more in common than their...
2 Comments

Gay Marriage Highlights Spain's Split Personality

March 16, 2012
Upon arriving in Spain, it’s not uncommon to hear an expression, which although comprised of English words, is fully embraced by Spaniards. Spain is Different, they...
1 Comment

Faith in Fashion: Religious Expression in Ghana

March 16, 2012
“Are you a Christian?” has been a common conversation starter with many Ghanaians with whom I have spoken so far. It caught me off guard initially. American social...
3 Comments

Hinduism Shapes India's Caste System and Interfaith Relationships

March 16, 2012
When I first looked at the class schedule for my study abroad program in India, I wondered why there were no classes on Hindu philosophy or religion in India. After a...

The State of the Rainbow Nation

March 16, 2012
Following the rest of the crowd, I stood quickly as the South African national anthem began to play. I was about to watch my first rugby game at the University of the...

What’s in a name? Looking at Language in Botswana

March 16, 2012
What can language tell us about a country? Botswana means “place of Tswana.” The Tswana are the dominant ethnic group in Botswana and the citizenry of Botswana are...
1 Comment

France and Food: Resisting the Fast-Food Revolution

March 16, 2012
Walking down a Parisien street lined with specialty stores, the smells of each greet me as I pass them: the pungent and rich aroma of the cheese from the fromagerie,...
1 Comment

The Rise of Regionalism and Migration in Modern China

March 15, 2012
When someone asks me where I’m from, I say I’m from Massachusetts. Though I have national pride, I frame my identity first in terms of my state. Through my...
1 Comment

Cultural Entanglement: The Costs of Globalization in China

March 15, 2012
Globalization has clearly done a great deal for China. Beginning in 1978, economic reforms cautiously increased China’s economic engagement with the rest of the world,...

John Paul II: "Poland's Pope"

March 15, 2012
Karol Wojtyla is a national hero in Poland. He was born in 1920 in Wadowice, a city just outside of Krakow in southern Poland. He features prominently in the Polish...

British Muslims Looking for a Middle Ground Between British and Islamic Law

March 15, 2012
According to a 2011 study by the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life, the number of Muslims living in the United Kingdom is slated to nearly double in the next...
1 Comment

Reconciling the Social and Religious Being in France

March 15, 2012
One of the most frustrating aspects of French culture has been the general lack of concern for personal space. As I walk through the stalls of farmer’s markets, I feel...
1 Comment

Catholicism and Liberalism in Spain: A Happy Coexistence as God Becomes Irrelevant

March 15, 2012
According to a 2009 survey conveyed by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociologicas (CIS), roughly 75% of Spaniards define themselves as Catholic, yet only 15% of them...

Italy Should be Careful about Taxing the Catholic Church

March 14, 2012
It is no secret that Italy has a lot of churches. One does not even have to visit Italy, or even live here as I am, to realize that Italy has lots of churches. What...

Catholic Jordanians Aren't Finding Guidance from the Church

March 13, 2012
Last semester, one of my good friends, Laura West, wrote about her Ecuadorian host family’s conversion from Catholicism to Protestantism. Having read her account on...
2 Comments

Jewish Population of Buenos Aires Belies Argentina's Homogeneous Catholic Stereotype

March 12, 2012
The novelty of the Buenos Aires subway quickly wore off when I realized I would rather take the trade-off of a longer commute to avoid the sardine-like conditions at...

Love and Relationships in the "Happiest Country in the World"

March 12, 2012
In contrast with America’s male-oriented gender bias, Denmark’s high level of male-female equality allows for behavior that transcends the gender barriers set by less...
2 Comments

The Catholic Church Bears Guilt for the Horrors of the Rwandan Genocide

March 5, 2012
Churches were a site of mass killings during the Rwandan genocide. In previous bouts of ethnic violence, no one had killed in a church, but 1994 was different.

Our...
1 Comment

Working Class Parisian Neighborhoods Feel the Squeeze of Gentrification

February 29, 2012
Paris: City of Lights, City of Love, City of a Hundred Villages, the Museum City, International City of Fashion, the Illuminated City. The city boasts an impressive...

The Ocean of Edinburgh

February 21, 2012
If posed with the question, “What did you take away from your time in Edinburgh, Scotland?” my response would revolve around what I have learned from the Scottish...
1 Comment

Regional Differences Threaten Belgian Unity

February 15, 2012
On February 17th of last year, Belgium gained a new record: the nation surpassed Iraq as having the longest period without a government at 249 days. On December 6th...

Is God Relevant? Exploring Faith in Higher Education

February 14, 2012
Recently I had a conversation with a British friend, Clare, about the atheism movement in the United Kingdom. Clare belongs to the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian...

French Muslims and Clashes over Secularism and Feminism

February 13, 2012
France drew the attention of the world last spring when its National Assembly outlawed the wearing of the “full veil” in public spaces—a law targeting the niqabs worn...

Social Class Divides Egyptians' Perceptions of the Revolution

February 13, 2012
After the Port Said football incident two weeks ago, AUC as well as other universities and public institutions have called for “Civil Disobedience.” They hope that a...

Witnessing the Revolution in Egypt

February 4, 2012
I’m sitting in Euro Café, eating chocolate mousse pie and sipping a cappuccino while Fairuz is gently playing in the background. Not your typical first blog entry for...

The Treadmill of EU Accession

December 26, 2011
Over a decade ago, Turkey began a run down of what appeared to be a clear path to European Union membership. Much has changed in Turkey and in the EU since then, and a...
1 Comment

Argentine Civil Dissatisfaction Contrasts with American Students' Content Ignorance

December 21, 2011
What do the purchase of a leather jacket, stepping in dog poop, and a wine tasting have in common? Besides all being frequent activities in Argentina, they also all...
1 Comment

Faith Allows Ecuadorians to "Sleep Peacefully Amid Smoking Volcanoes"

December 15, 2011
18th century German explorer Alexander Von Humboldt once declared that "Ecuadorians are strange and unique beings, they sleep peacefully amid smoking volcanoes."...
3 Comments

Ecuadorians Looking for Faith Outside the Catholic Church

December 14, 2011
"Me duele que el catolicismo me fregara."
(It hurts me that Catholicism failed me.)

While I was interviewing my host father for an anthropology project, the above...
2 Comments

Colonial History Creates Religious Syncretism in the Dominican Republic

December 14, 2011
The official religion of the Dominican Republic is Catholicism because of its early history of Spanish colonization and rule. La Zona Colonial, or the Colonial Zone,...
1 Comment

Italy Isn't Prepared for Influx of Immigrants

December 12, 2011
Italy has a long history of emigration. From the 1860s to the 1960s, more than 25 million Italians left the country, mostly for the Americas, due to overpopulation....
3 Comments

Buddhism Survived the Khmer Rouge to Give Hope to Cambodia

December 9, 2011
A surreal feeling came over me as I walked through the killing fields located a few kilometers outside of Cambodia’s capital city of Phnom Penh. The nature surrounding...

Happy Birthday to His Majesty the King

December 8, 2011
Before coming to Thailand I knew that the country was overwhelmingly Buddhist but I did not know how this would manifest itself in my daily life. I quickly learned...
1 Comment

Vehicles of Hope for HIV Patients

December 7, 2011
I step onto a blue tro tro crowded with men on their way to work, women with fruit to sell, and babies swaddled across mothers backs. While these tro tro vehicles...
3 Comments

Honoring a Murderer: The Confusing Politics Surrounding Pinochet’s Dictatorship in Chile 21 Years Later

December 6, 2011
Every weeknight since my arrival in Santiago on July 14, I have watched the 9:00 p.m. news with my Chilean host parents. On November 21, one story captured a fact that...
3 Comments

Edinburgh, the City of Literature

December 4, 2011
Having now studied in Edinburgh, Scotland for three months, as a bibliophile, I can say with complete assurance that I chose the ideal place to spend a semester...
2 Comments

Church and State: The Clout of Senegal's Mouride Brotherhood

December 3, 2011
In Senegal, Islam assumes the form of brotherhoods, each led by a spiritual guide, or Marabout, who commands a loyal band of followers. Visual representations of these...

No Honor in Crime: Jordanian Women Change the Conversation about Honor Killings

December 3, 2011
In Jordan each year, between 15 and 20 women are murdered for the sake of honor. The reasons for honor killings in Jordan vary: sometimes the woman committed adultery,...
1 Comment

Women of Northeast Thailand: Privilege and Obligation

December 2, 2011
The gender structure of every culture and nation is different. With each tradition, men and women have interacted within a cultural structure that defines their social...

The Political Economy of the Burqini, or the Burqa-Bikini Crossover

December 2, 2011
A new fashion has arrived to accompany the alcohol-soaked beach resort hedonism of Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Alongside bare-breasted Scandinavian tourists, women...
2 Comments

Upholding Thai Appropriateness and Respect for Monks

December 1, 2011
This morning I woke up at 5:45a.m. and began my daily run, which typically takes me on a winding dirt road, out of the village I live in, around a mountain, through a...

Street History in Paris’ “Banlieue Rouge” and the Communist Heritage

November 30, 2011
Any historically minded visitor to Paris is likely to remark on the city’s street names, replete with references to politicians, writers, artists, generals and...
1 Comment

Turkey's Long Awaited Middle Ground

November 30, 2011
Throughout the 20th century, Turkey was plagued by a destabilizing socio-political conflict between Westward looking secularists and Eastern looking Islamists. The...

African Influence in Brazil Evident through Candomblé Religion

November 23, 2011
I recently had the opportunity to travel to Salvador, Bahia, a city on the northeastern coast of Brazil known for its prominent African influence. During the sixteenth...

Not for the Timid: Porteños Live with Zeal and Passion for Everything

November 23, 2011
There is something about living in Buenos Aires for these last four months that always has a rejuvenating effect on my day. The best way I can describe it is just a...
1 Comment

Are Festivals Good for Your Health?

November 22, 2011
What do you get when you put a couple dozen public health officials and indigenous community leaders in the same room for a day? This is essentially what Ecuador is...
2 Comments

La Mirada or, The Stare: Foreign Influences on Argentine Society

November 20, 2011
Despite signing several written commitments to speak the language of our study abroad country at all times, I, like the rest of American students that study abroad,...
3 Comments

Veiling is Not a Lack of Agency but a Way of Life

November 19, 2011
The colorful scarves hanging from almost every shop will undoubtedly catch your eye while walking through the underpass by the University of Jordan. Orange and yellow,...
2 Comments

Morality Exists Beneath China's Hardened Exterior

November 18, 2011
We arrived in Guangdong on the overnight train from Xiamen at 6:00am in order to see the 110th world famous Canton Import Export Fair. The fair attracts over 200,000...
2 Comments

Yangshuo’s Identity Crisis

November 15, 2011
The following is a reflection on my recent trip to the city of Guilin in southern China. It focuses on the cultural climate of Yangshuo, a small but popular tourist...

Brazil Lacks Long-Term Efforts to Solve Drug Trafficking

November 14, 2011
When some people think of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, they think of the beaches. Some think of Carnival, the world famous celebration filled with samba and colors. Some...
1 Comment

Ecuadorian Faith is a Subtle Yet Constant Force

November 14, 2011
In choosing to study abroad in Ecuador, I expected that like in any Latin American country, la religión y la familia were going to be central aspects of life for the...
1 Comment

Faith and Modernity Have Muddled Senegalese Views on Sexuality

November 14, 2011
One of the most singularly bizarre experiences I have had so far during my semester happened one night in a Car Rapide. Car Rapides are a thoroughly Senegalese form of...
2 Comments

Math Students in Ghana Face Difficult Social and Educational Realities

November 8, 2011
There are about 1200 students in the undergraduate mathematics program at University of Ghana (two of which are exchange students) which translates to roughly one in...
1 Comment

The Struggle between Religion and HIV/AIDS in West Africa

November 7, 2011
“When we talk about religion, it’s very interesting because it goes with established, historical religions and then supernatural beliefs. It’s one of the constraints...
2 Comments

The Soul of the Egyptian Revolution

November 6, 2011
Last Friday I attended a pro-democracy rally following Friday prayers in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the birthplace of Egypt’s revolution this past January. The country is...
2 Comments

Homogenous Danish Culture Makes Room for Outsiders

November 6, 2011
When I think of Denmark, I think of beautiful tall, blonde, blue-eyed men and women. The nation is known for its homogeneity, a fact of which the Danish people are...
1 Comment

The Heart of Edinburgh: St. Giles Church

November 6, 2011
On any given day, hundreds of people enter in and out of St. Giles church located in the center of the old town of Edinburgh. This historic church, which welcomes...

The Virgin Mary, Model for the Ideal Chilean Mother

November 5, 2011
Any new arrival to Santiago is quickly directed to the cerro San Cristóbal. As the second highest point in the city, San Cristóbal provides the best view of Chile’s...
1 Comment

The Catholic Church's Response to HIV/AIDS in Botswana

November 4, 2011
Note: This letter heavily draws on a group project I worked on for my Setswana Language and Culture Practicum class. I would like to acknowledge my partner on the...
1 Comment

Wrestling with Mixed Ancestry in the Dominican Republic

November 4, 2011
When I arrived to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, I noticed a growing and expanding capital city, still negotiating its way between the old and the new; imperialism...

Identity in Flux: Palestinian Refugees in Jordan

November 3, 2011
I am an American. I have an American passport, I was born to two American parents, and English is my first language. But I have a little bit of heritage in me, as my...
1 Comment

Authenticity and Portion Control Define Italian Culinary Culture

November 2, 2011
At Georgetown’s Villa Le Balze in Florence, I’m taking a class called “European Globalization,” in which we study the structure and effectiveness of the European Union...
1 Comment

Family and Community Reign Supreme in Ecuador

November 1, 2011
To reach the tiny town of Lumbisí, an indigenous community located about forty minutes outside of Quito, you have to take a bus up a narrow partially paved road, wind...

Vietnam: Land of Paradoxes

November 1, 2011
Vietnam is a country unlike any other in the world. In the cities, heavy traffic, construction equipment and modern-day skyscrapers reflect Vietnam’s rapid...

"To Accompany" Defines the Jesuit Role in Amman

November 1, 2011
What has been interesting for me the past two months that I have in Amman is noticing the difference in the role of the Jesuits here compared to what I have become...
1 Comment

Edinburgh's Hands Off Religious Attitude Breeds Mutual Respect

November 1, 2011
Looking over Edinburgh from the the highest point in the city, Arthur’s Seat, one can’t help but notice the grand historic church steeples that command the attention...

Cell phones, Yaks, and Monks

October 31, 2011
What do these three things have in common, you ask? The answer is that you can find all of them in the small city of Xia’he, a culturally Tibetan community located in...
1 Comment

Christianity Across the Pond

October 31, 2011
In all my preparation for living in London, the one place I thought would need not adjustment seems the hardest to adapt to: church life. On Sundays in London or back...
5 Comments

The Influence of the Catholic Church and Indigenous Religions in Brazil

October 31, 2011
In Rio de Janeiro you can see God everywhere. Literally. From almost anywhere I stand in the huge city of Rio, I am able to see the magnificent 130ft statue of Christ...
1 Comment

Argentines Find New Forms of Social Representation in Protests

October 31, 2011
I looked up from my cup of coffee in the café in time to see a group of five in the crosswalk of the street before me. They had the bulky bags, which marked them as...

Cultivating a Democratic Consciousness in Senegal

October 30, 2011
I step into my downstairs bedroom after class one day. Ignoring the light switch, I push aside a pair of bulky curtains and crack open the shutters they once...
1 Comment

Happy Birthday, Tajikistan

October 30, 2011
On September 9 2011, Tajikistan celebrated its 20th year of independence. I had been in the country for a total of one week, and as I watched the parade and...

Global Markets Change Thai Culture and Create New Dependencies

October 29, 2011
Thailand is popularly known as the land of smiles, beautiful beaches, communal eating, and Theravada Buddhism. Postcards and movies propagate this image of a uniquely...

The Concept of Honor Unites Religions in Jordan

October 28, 2011
In Jordan, religion is the keystone that supports all aspects of society, and a common religious heritage unites Muslims and Christians. Unlike other Arab countries...
2 Comments

In Buenos Aires, Churches Abound but Catholicism Doesn't

October 28, 2011
Argentina is an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country, with an estimated eighty to ninety percent of the population having been baptized. However, this statistic can...
2 Comments

Church-State Relations Complicate Reproductive Health for Argentines

October 28, 2011
Argentina is a country of intense political and social dichotomy. Same-sex marriage has been legal for 18 months and gay tango bars abound, but maricón (a derogatory...

Argentine Universities Embrace Secularism More than Catholicism

October 27, 2011
One of the advantages of my study abroad program in Buenos Aires is the range of universities from which we can choose classes. From the public and prestigious...

The Land of Smiles and Yellow Robes

October 25, 2011
Thailand presents quite a unique opportunity in terms of religion. Today, more than 90% of the population considers itself Buddhist and it continues to be a driving...

Chinese Pluralism Creates Space for Religion

October 24, 2011
Hidden in one of the far most northern corners of China, in the small city of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province, I found some of the most diverse religious...

Witchcraft and Christianity Intersect in Ghana

October 24, 2011
Living in Ghana has made me notice a few things about Americans. First, we like to pretend that we’re alone in the world. A lot of our public discourse and websites (I...
1 Comment

Prepared and Unprepared: Culture Shock and Education at Oxford

October 24, 2011
The term “culture shock” did not come up once in orientation meetings, in discussions with Georgetown students who had studied at the University of Oxford in the past,...
3 Comments

Immigration, Assimilation, Domination: Jews in Ecuador

October 24, 2011
“Jews don’t assimilate, they just dominate.”

It was my second day in Sociedad y Derecho (Society and Rights), a pre-law course of about twenty-five Ecuadorian...

The Duality of French Religion

October 23, 2011
Every hour the churches of Paris make their presence known as the toll of a hundred of bells rolls across the city. Yet the strong physical presence of religion, the...

Hong Kong Creates Opportunity for Filipino Migrant Workers

October 21, 2011
Central district in Hong Kong is the Wall Street of Hong Kong, the Soho of Hong Kong—it’s at the heart of Hong Kong. Question is, does it carry with it, Hong Kong’s...

A History of the Dominican Order of Blackfriars in England

October 19, 2011
It was my first Sunday in Oxford, and I was running late. Lost, I ran into St. John’s Hall and was greeted by a porter. “Where…Blackfriars?” I gasped. He wordlessly...

Ecology and Development Clash in Ecuador

October 19, 2011
When I first arrived to Ecuador, I honestly didn’t know what to expect with regards to the looks of the Ecuadorian country. I had seen pictures of the Galapagos, but I...
1 Comment

Religion and Traditional Values Complicate Gender Roles in Senegal

October 18, 2011
As girl growing up in America in the 1990s, I was not aware of gender discrimination until I learned about the suffragettes in elementary school. Even then,...
2 Comments

Christianity in Botswana: A Prominent and Globalizing Force

October 11, 2011
In Botswana, Christianity looms large. Although calculating what proportion of Batswana (the term for citizens of Botswana) are Christian is complicated by the fact...
1 Comment

Ethnic Diversity Creates Religious Pluralism in Brussels

October 11, 2011
Before coming to Brussels, my expectation was that I would easily be able to practice my Catholic faith in this Catholic country. I assumed that there would be many...