Cafe Abroad Inprint Spring 2007

InPRINT

Issue

1S

prin

g 2007

ROMABellissima

LONDONInside Look:

International

FILM IN FOCUS

cafeabroad.com

Who says you can’t find a good meal on a budget? Our London correspondents, for starters. Take a tour of Thai food and tea that your tastebuds will thank you for.

6 From Barcelona on a Budget

By land, air and sea, Chelsea Wilson offers tips for student travelers strapped for cash.

4 International Cinema

Brisbane-based international movie critic Haley McGuire brings a film about the abroad experience into focus through her analysis of French director Cedric Klapsich’s “L’Auberge Espagnole.”

7 Beckham to Hollywood

From Manchester to Madrid, soccer star David Beckham is now headed to Los Angeles. European sports correspondent Ben Strauss reports on how this groundbreaking deal may be great for Beckham, but will do little to boost Major League Soccer’s appeal in the States.

CAFE ABROAD InPRINT Issue 1 March/April 2007

8 Roma Bella

Jamie Andrew shrugs off the Uggs and other American fashion faux pas to bask in the artistic style of the Roman Renaissance. Wielding both pen and lens, an aspiring artist finds new inspiration in timeless masterpieces.

12 Inside London

Cover Shot: A view of an ancient Roman fortress from across the storied Tiber River. By Jamie Andrew

A Note fromT h e P u b l i s h e rOn behalf of the entire Café Abroad team, it is with great enthusiasm that we

release Café Abroad InPRINT.

Inside this inaugural issue you will find articles, photography, opinions, and ideasfrom some of the most creative minds currently studying overseas. We hope thattheir contributions serve to educate, entertain, and maybe even inspire you.

It is our goal to serve as the voice of the students. We believe strongly in youradventurous spirit and in the education that serves as the vehicle that drives youtoward discovery. We also believe in your qualities of humor, spontaneity andcuriosity, which will serve you well in your travels.

As a company founded by former abroad students - and recent college graduates -we share solidarity in this venture with all students, mirroring both the risks andsacrifices you take in aims of personal and global exploration.

We are grateful to give a voice to your journey, as your narratives become part ofour story. Ultimately, we hope to learn more about the diverse experiences thatdefine study abroad - and maybe share a few laughs along the way. Above all, we arecommitted to improving the study abroad experience.

By delivering a quarterly publication to study abroad offices around the country, wealso aim to keep administrators informed of the latest study abroad topics andtrends. We also believe people outside of the study abroad community will enjoy theperspectives presented in this newsmagazine.

In future issues of Café Abroad InPRINT, you can expect to find in-depth accounts,stunning photojournalism and new ideas about study abroad that develop from theglobal conversation taking place on our website, cafeabroad.com.

We hope that you enjoy reading Café Abroad as much we enjoyed producing it. Welook forward to sharing a good conversation with you at this global café of ideas.

Mark TraversPublisherCafé Abroad InPRINTmarktravers@cafeabroad.com

Advertise withCafe Abroad

CAFÉ ABROADPublisher: Mark Travers

Managing Editor: Dan Schwartzman

Editors: Ben Strauss, Ithaca College Carly Pifer, Northeastern University Lindsey Franco, University of Florida Jamie Andrew, Maryland Institute, College of Art in Baltimore Amanda Yngelmo, Georgetown University

Production Manager: Jeffrey Kuhlman

Art Director: Adrian Antonio

Website Administrator: Paul Scully

Contributing Writers:Haley McGuire, George Washington UniversityChelsea Wilson, Pennsylvania State UniversityKara Cusolito, Ithaca College, Christian Sherden, Washington University in St. Louis

Café Abroad is a student-generated newsmagazine distributed to hundreds of study abroad offices around the country.

Headquarters:4 Bayshore RoadLong Beach TownshipNew Jersey 08008

Advertising inquiries should be directed to advertising@cafeabroad.com

All student editorial submissions should be mailed to freelance@cafeabroad.com

Cafeabroad.com

© Café Abroad 2007. All Rights Reserved

We are currently seeking advertisers who share our vision to positively impact the study abroad community. As a newsmaga-zine, nework, and city guide, Café Abroad is positioned as the next development in study abroad. For advertising information email advertising@cafeabroad.com

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It’s the little things. As abroad students plucked from our everyday environ-ment, we tend to get caught up in life’s

nuances that normally go unnoticed. Whether it’s an encounter with a fellow Red Sox fan in Florence or a friend’s crav-ing for pancakes smothered in peanut butter, these quirks seem to be amplified during our short time overseas.

Nobody captures this mood better than French filmmaker Cedric Klapisch.

His films focus on the simple gestures, expressions and behaviors that occur throughout human interaction. He high-lights certain idiosyncrasies and attributes that bring his characters to life.

The mysterious mishaps, flaws and awkward events in our lives differentiate us from one another, but at the same time

unite us. Klapisch has an ability to trans-form this celebration of abnormalities and illusive behaviors into films that create an experience that transcends reality. This is what makes his work so notable.

In 2002 Klapisch released “L’Auberge Espagnole” (The Spanish Apartment), a film that exemplifies the abroad experi-ence. It focuses on a French exchange student named Xavier (Romain Duris) who rooms with six European strangers. Xavier leaves his girlfriend Martine (Audrey Tau-tou) back home and embarks on a new life he never expected. Stepping into the unknown without direction, the strang-est events sculpt his experience. Lost in a new land, getting to know the streets, cafes and local life of Barcelona become essential to Xavier’s world abroad.

The eclectic soundtrack of the movie mirrors the dissociation between protago-

by Haley McGuire

nist and setting. Through music, Klapisch incorporates familiarity with the unknown. Unforgettable experiences and inexplica-ble mishaps collide with Radiohead’s “No Surprises,” “Aerodynamic” by Daft Punk, and a sweet introduction by Malian song-writer Ali Farka Toure.

The melting pot of apartment dwellers exposes the bittersweet happiness that comes from leaving all you know in order to live, love and laugh a little longer.

K l a p i s c h finds fascinat-ing yet subtle ways to portray a good-hearted and light envi-ronment that neither inhibits his characters nor causes them to become too outrageous or extreme. He blends lovable characters, eye-catching cin-ematog rap hy and a seamless style that allows his scenes to unfold with flu-idity.

Any cinephile will also appre-ciate Klapisch’s use of alter-native editing t e c h n i q u e s , most notably his jump cuts. Following his fel-low countryman Francois Truf-faut, who first revealed the jump cut in “Les Quatre Cents Coups” (The

400 Blows) in 1959, and then again with Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless” (1960), this French New Wave style of editing has a surprising effect by allowing a break in timing and continuity. Ordinarily seen as flaws in filmmaking, these unique edits create an effect that draws interest and attention. The opening edits of “L’Auberge Espagnole” depict a similar mental phe-nomenon associated with American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein’s “House,” creat-ing an optical illusion of time and space. By bringing the viewer through every step, not editing out the events unnecessary to the plot, every action is made available and every mundane activity becomes il-luminated.

Xavier’s every move is noted as he charges Barcelona with a will to explore and face the unknown. After befriending his housemates, learning about each oth-er’s lives and inevitably creating a memo-ry that will be with him for the rest of his days, Xavier realizes profound yet inconse-quential truthes about life.

Like Xavier, whether your overseas experience throws you into a whirlwind of love affairs and drunken waltzes -- or you find yourself teetering on the edge of sanity -- at the end you’ll be sad to leave the people and memories that will forever bind you to a time and place in your own life’s history.

INTERNATIONAL CINEMA BEAT

The Berlin Film Festival

Haley McGuire is a junior at George Washington University studying in sunny Brisbane, Australia. A former intern on the set of HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusi-asm,” Café Abroad’s resident film critic now spends her time soaking up the international cinescene.

Café Abroad seeks college students who have an eye forphotography to submit freelance articles. Freelancers canbe located any where in the world, and can write on anytopic they choose. First person narratives are welcome.Stories should convey a strong voice and focused theme.Send articles with one or two photographs tofreelance@cafeabroad.com.

Every semester Café Abroad hires talented and ambitious students to work inscores of cities around the globe as regional managers and travel journalists. Theenergy and diligence of our semester-long interns fuels our vision to deliver anewsmagazine, network and city guide written by and for students. We are seekingsummer and fall abroad students to join our team and continue the impressive workof our spring 2007 class. For more information email jobs@cafeabroad.com orcheck out the employment section of our website.

Interested in working for Café Abroad?

by Chelsea Wilson

AIR TRAVEL

TRAINFor those who don’t like to fly, or for travelers going to destinations outside of international airports, train travel is a good option.

www.interrailnet.comhttp://raileurope.co.uk/

WATER

BUS

HoSTELS ANd HoTELS

Traveling by water can be time consuming, but it offers an inexpensive alterna-tive to travel to the Mediterranean islands. You can also use ferry services to get from Southern Spain to Northern Africa.

Bus travel is a worthy alternative for the budget-savvy traveler who will not mind a long trip.

Staying in hostels can sometimes be sketchy, so it’s best to check reviews from past customers and to call ahead and question the staff. I really like Venere.com because it is a great resource for hotels not only in Europe, but also throughout the world.

Travel to more exotic places in Africa or Asia can still be done cheaply, but it takes some patience as well as caution. Cheap travel outside of Europe can often involve long layover times, as well as stops in multiple cities. It is best to be open-minded when exploring this option. A helpful hint would be to plan trips in the city in which you are laid over if you are there for a considerable amount of time. Before traveling, you should THOROUGHLY research your destination, as well as your accommodations. The following sites are pretty good resources.

When booking airfare, a good way to save money when traveling to Africa is to book flights through former colonizers. It sounds pretty harsh but it is actually a great way to cut costs. For example, a flight from the U.S. to South Africa could cost you $2,000 to $3,000. Traveling from the U.S. to London (a $400 to $700 flight) and from London to South Africa ($500 to $1,000) is more time-consum-ing, but can save you some money.

Planearly!Youcanusuallycatchlowerfareswhenyoubook morethantwoweeksinadvance. Early morning flights (4 a.m. to 8 a.m.) are a hassle, but will usually save money, and will give you more time at your destination. Get an International Student Identity Card (ISIC). It is a useful form of identification and will help you save money on food, hostels, and travel. Travel in groups. This way if you opt to stay in a hostel, you will be with people you know. In addition, if you are with a pretty large group, you can look for group discounts. Always pack a basic first aid kit.

TIPS

www.virtualtourist.comhttp://travel.state.gov/

www.aferry.comhttp://www.balearia.ferries.org/

http://www.cheapferrytickets.com/ http://www.ferrycheap.com/

www.busabout.com http://www.eurolines.com/

www.venere.comwww.hostels.com

www.hostelworld.comwww.iyhf.org

www.momondo.com

www.clickair.com

www.vueling.com

www.skyscanner.com

www.airfarewatchdog.com

Traveling by plane is usually the fastest, least expensive way to travel throughout Europe. Fares on these sites usually range from 50 euros round trip to around 300 euros.

MakingYourEuros Work–orTravel–forYou:APenny-PinchingAbroadStudent’sGuidetoGettingtheMostOutofYourTravelBudget

Chelsea Wilson is a junior at Pennsylvania State University living in Barcelona, Spain. Charged with a strong will to explore the world, she recently em-barked on her first European adventure.

Each year thousands of strapped American college students migrate to countries around the world for

a temporary leave of absence from their day-to-day routine. Aside from reliable Internet connections, AC adapters, etc., what many actually end up leaving behind is common sense when it comes to budgeting.

We travel for different reasons: some to learn a language, others to become culturally immersed, and many more, dare I say, simply can’t resist the idea of a five-month vacation. But, behind every student’s motivation, there’s a common currency. Cash. Well, that and the unquenchable thirst to get out on the road and to see as much as possible along the way.

Something like two-thirds of all study abroad students – myself included -- flock to Europe. Perhaps one reason

why Europe claims the top spots among study abroad destinations has to do with its social and economic unity. So, while our experiences may turn out as disparate as our motivations for embark-ing, many students end up speaking the same language -- the euro. And, as the dollar sharply declines, we share a com-mon pain at the ATM.

Due to its economic unity, inter-national travel in Western Europe is exceedingly easy – almost like jumping from state to state in the U.S. But, just because European travel is easy does not mean it’s inexpensive. Most college students I know are not independently wealthy and are living on fixed incomes. For those travelers, I compiled a list of top transportation resources to make sure that their euros take them as far as they want to go.

www.ryanair.com

www.aireuropa.com

www.expedia.com

http://www.ytbtravel.com/

callen

David Beckham is coming to the U.S. It’s not quite LaDanian Tomlinson deciding to play football

in Europe. Beckham’s not that good anymore and LT’s not that famous. Think of it more along the lines of something in between LT moving to the Frankfurt Galaxy and Anna Kournikova retiring to concentrate on modeling. In terms of skill, Beckham is not the player he was that led Manchester United to the top of the Premiership throughout the 1990’s. But he isn’t finished either. The 31-year-old still possesses one of the best right foots in the world and is running no risk of being an also-ran in Major League Soccer.

Beckham’s impending transfer to the Los Angeles Galaxy in August is more a product of marketing than anything else, for both him and MLS. Seeing decreased playing time on an underachieving Real Madrid club, Beckham knew his days in Spain were numbered, at least on the field, which explains why he left a two-year extension on the table. Real Madrid could miss Beckham next year, but with plenty of young talent his departure is just the first step in the Galacticos’ attempt to remake an aging, overpriced roster.But La Liga’s loss is MLS’ gain. The league finally has the proven commodity it’s always wanted. They tried Jorge Campos. They tried Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and even Freddy Adu. But David Beckham dwarfs anyone and everyone that has come before him in American soccer, even Pele. His chiseled features and ex-Spice Girl wife will surely make their way onto ESPN and

perhaps even a Times Square billboard.“David Beckham is a global sports icon

who will transcend the sport of soccer in America,” gushed MLS President Don Garber after announcing the transfer.

Maybe Garber would like you to believe that history will view Beckham’s arrival in the same light as, say, Christopher Columbus, only instead of horses, conquistadors and Christianity Beckham will be sharing soccer with the new world. It will be, they hope, the turning point in the United States’ entrance onto the world’s soccer stage.

The five-year, $250 million contract is staggering, and it was only by the good graces of a rule change a few years ago to allow teams the capacity to exceed the salary cap when luring foreign players to the States that allowed the move to take place. The renamed “Beckham Rule” finally hit the jackpot, if you ask Garber.

Beckham is under the impression that he is moving to Hollywood, but after the new car smell wears off, he could find it feels more like Bollywood, when you’re only playing soccer. La La Land has more important things on its mind. Not even Beckham is bigger than breast implants and smog, and hopefully he knows that, even though MLS doesn’t seem to.

When MLS kicks off its lucky thirteenth season this August, expect an unprecedented buzz surrounding opening night. Expect more televised games and higher attendance as long as the Galaxy is playing. All of this is perfect, of course, for Beckham, who will surely capitalize on the publicity with endorsements and perhaps a sequel to “Bend it Like Beckham.”

The move for Beckham makes perfect sense. Lots of money, international publicity and the chance to sell himself to an American public that loves larger than life personalities. But not for MLS. It is an admirable move, venture capitalism at its finest, but almost certainly doomed to fail.

Beckham may be pretty, but no one is pretty enough to sell soccer to Americans. Once they turn on the game, they will find it is still the same game that everyone else seems to like, but they don’t, even with David Beckham. He doesn’t change the fact that MLS is still farther away from world class soccer than the wolfman to getting laid.

By choosing the Galaxy over Real Madrid and other clubs in England, Beckham made it crystal clear that he is not interested in competing at the European level anymore, which is fine. But MLS should not be disappointed when Beckham becomes more interested in the bright lights of Madison Avenue, the kind of stage he is used to, than soccer. He has an infinitely better chance of becoming an American icon off the soccer field, and it won’t take him long to realize that. In the end, Beckham is getting paid a lot of money to make a decision that seems downright obvious: a few more years of soccer in a setting where he can continue to be successful thrown in with the opportunity of American commerc ia l ism. MLS needs David Beckham for headlines, but Beckham should already know it’s not a two-way street.

U.S. Bound: David Beckham says goodbye to Real Madrid and Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. He will play in MLS next season for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Photography by Jack Reynolds.

Futból Star David Beckham Finds New Hollywood Homeby Ben Strauss

Ben Strauss is a junior at Ithaca College. He is a journalism major with minors in politics and sports studies. He is looking forward to La Liga, bullfight-ing, and getting turned down by Spanish women on a regular basis.JReynoldsPhoto.com

They left the lights on for the dura-tion of the entire train ride. Not sub-tle floor lamps that illuminated the

walkway -- no, bright fluorescent lights that flattened everything and kept me from seeing anything out the window. It was only an hour and twenty minutes from my new home of Florence to the infamous city of Rome, but I wanted to see anything I could along the way. So, when I had the opportunity for a window seat, I jumped at it. Seeing as it was an evening trip, all I could really see in the window was a reflection of the girl across the aisle from me, a fellow American stu-dent, munching on chips and drinking a bottle of orange juice. A bit disappointed,

I turned up my iPod and, before I knew it, was standing up to get out at Roma Termini, the downtown train station. I’d never been to Rome before, only heard stories of the Tiber and the grandiosity of the Coliseum. Even though the first thing I could see was a dark, dank bus station, littered with newspapers and crowded with scrappy Italian men muttering unin-telligible things, I was enchanted imme-diately.

I was traveling with a group of students from school, whose clumsy backpacks and pastel-colored Uggs gave us away immediately, and -- somehow -- made it on to the proper city bus that would take us to the vicinity of our hotel. Once we

got on the bus, we realized that nothing was marked. Absolutely nothing. There was no list of stops, no electronic sign at the front of the bus that told us where we were, no announcement from the bus driver telling us where we were going next. Befuddled and without a leader, we looked around nervously at each stop. A nearby Italian man took pity on us and held up two fingers when we nervously asked the name of our stop.

“Largo Argentina?” we asked. Relieved at his response, we cried vic-

toriously, “Two stops!” -- proud that we somehow figured out when to get off the bus.

This was my first experience of Rome, and while it was not at the leisurely pace I would have preferred, it was a pretty comprehensive one. A 6:45 a.m. wake-up call began the day, followed by a con-tinental breakfast of rolls and coffee. It’s important to note that Europeans, particularly Italians, find large breakfasts distasteful, even barbaric. Nowhere can you find the American-style diner, serving heaps of scrambled eggs or mountains of French toast. But I gladly trade those things for the silky cappuccinos, the but-

tery croissants, and truly transcendental blood oranges. I’m trying to jog on a regu-lar basis just to offset the daily pastries I can’t resist -- but so far, it’s not going too well.

In Rome, however, it didn’t matter: we walked everywhere. The subway system, or, rather, lack of a subway system, is a bit of a joke. It’s a predicament for the city planning committee to build an un-derground train, given the fact that Rome is literally built on top of thousands of years of archaeological ruins. Imagine destroying ancient pottery to bits to make way for a metro ticket turnstile! An above-ground train is being discussed, but is apparently repulsive to native Romans. It is Italy, after all -- they certainly can dress, but when it comes to organization, let’s just say there are other, more press-ing issues to be dealt with (namely, an afternoon nap)! In any case, the exercise felt good, and we were lucky enough to have some yellow morning sun warming our shoulders. All day I looked at beauti-ful things: orange trees, gold-leafed fres-coes, elegant columns supporting even more elegant marble arches framing even more beautiful Classical sculptures,

by Jamie Andrew

A Roman Holiday: (Clockwise from left) St. Peter’s Basilica stands unmatched. An ancient fortress reflects in the still waters of the Tiber. The Vatican museum, gilded to the point of ecstacy. An elegant tomb sits atop a steep hill.

Jamie Andrew is an art student transplanted from Baltimore to Florence, Italy. Among her other in-terests, she has a penchant for farmer’s markets, National Geographic, and traveling by train. And books. Lots of books.

decadent chocolates displayed in pastic-ceria store windows, and intimidatingly beautiful people walking across cobble-stone roads in stilettos as if they were tennis shoes.

I was surprised by the line to see the Sistine Chapel, given the non-touristy month of February. It might have had something to do with us arriving 15 min-utes before closing time, but the throngs of Asian and German tourists with their orange-flag-on-a-stick-bearing guides truly left little elbow room. I craned my neck back, WAY back, to see one of the most famous images in art history. And there it was, way up high above my head, the lumpy body of Adam reaching a for-lorn finger to God. A guard interrupted my contemplation, barking in Italian and then frustrated English.

“NO! Get up! No sit! No sit!” The navy-clad man then motioned and shooed me and several lithe Japanese girls away from the marble steps where we had been sit-ting. Bullocks. I had to mesh with the wad of people, all clinging to their headsets, talking loudly and taking pictures with disorienting flashes. I was beginning to get tired and a little sweaty when I re-membered I had brought along my iPod in my extremely fashionable fanny pack. Desperate to separate myself from the crowd in some way, I plugged in the head-phones and switched on “Glosoli” by the rather epic Icelandic band Sigur Ros. The tourists’ voices faded to a hushed chat-ter, while the swell of strings and the lead singer’s off-key but very enchanting voice allowed me to look at -- to really look at

-- the masterpiece covering the ceiling. I didn’t even notice the ache at the base of my neck as I took in the grandiosity of the building that surrounded me. Suddenly, I was aware of the fact that millions of people came through this place every year just to marvel at the artistic hand of someone who died hundreds of years ago. And for me, as an aspiring artist and writer, that gives me hope. Lots of it.

I keep evaluating the differences be-tween the way I feel here, in Italy, and the way I feel at home. Something has al-ready changed in me -- I don’t know if it’s the way I walk, a slower, more leisurely pace; the way I savor my afternoon cap-puccinos, taking time to stop from the business of class and the day; the way I allow myself to visually explore every-thing more than I ever would at home; or if it’s just the fact that I’m in a new place. But I can say one thing: Italians really, truly, appreciate beauty. The word “bella” is used every day, whereas “beautiful” is practically an obscenity in the U.S. (or, at least, in art school in the U.S.). Coffee is

beautiful, a building is beautiful, a child is beautiful, the afternoon is beautiful. And you know what? The more you say it, the more you believe it. And sometimes, as in the case of the Sistine Chapel, “bella” isn’t even adequate. It’s just a moment you have to savor, wrap up and store somewhere in your head -- and maybe later label “bellissima.”

Suddenly, I was aware of the fact that millions of people came through Sistine Chapel every year just to marvel at the artistic hand of someone who died hundreds of years ago. And for me, as an aspir-ing artist and writer, that gives me hope. Lots of it.

Dublin, IrelandAdam Cable, George Washington University Kathleen McArdle, University of Notre Dame Katie Hauswirth, University of Notre Dame Caity Schneeman, University of Notre Dame

Edinburgh, ScotlandJerrica Hall, Utah State UniversityAllison Ulrich, Arcadia UniversityMeghan Barrett, Stonehill College

London, EnglandPhil Coffman, Drexel UniversitySarah Hall, Drake University Alexander Gurzau, Pennsylvania State UniversityAllan Lagomarsino, California State University, Long Beach Andrew Mathews, University of Notre DameChristian Sherden, Washington University in St. LouisDevin Gribbons, University of Notre Dame Jocelyn Sefton, Michigan State UniversityKerry Donovan, University of Notre DameLindsay Wuenkler, University of Florida Mariel Dela Cruz, Wellesley CollegeSally Ho, University of Colorado at Boulder Shauna Canty, University of FloridaStephanie Neville, Michigan State UniversityGabe Cohen, St. Lawrence University Elizabeth Komorowski, Indiana University Kara Cusolito, Ithaca CollegeSarah Knopf, Saint Louis UniversityBrandi Meyer, University of Florida

Oxford, EnglandTara Forman, Washington University in St. Louis

Barcelona, SpainChelsea Wilson, Pennsylvania State UniversityHilary Walke, George Washington University Kristen Batich, George Washington University

Florence, ItalyDanielle McKenzie, University of Wisconsin, Madison Lance O’Cull, University of LouisvilleJamie Andrew, Maryland Institute of Art in Baltimore

Madrid, SpainWhitney Drzewiecki, University of Wisconsin, MadisonAlayna Pregner, Saint Louis UniversityChristina Mauricio, George Washington UniversityChristopher Albin, Washington University in St. LouisKathleen Koster, Georgetown University Ben Strauss, Ithaca College

Buenos Aires, ArgentinaMichael Koren, University of North CarolinaAdria Schmidt, Northeastern University Andrew Baca, George Washington University Dina Magiril, Middlebury CollegeGrigs Crawford, George Washington University Paige Boncher, Wellesley College

Havana, CubaSamuel Morrill, Middlebury College

Rio de Janeiro, BrazilEmma Marwood, Georgetown University

San Jose, Costa RicaDavid Klatt, Pennsylvania State UniversityMatt Moore, Northeastern University

Santiago, ChileLisa Kim, Washington University in St. LouisChris Lengerich, Pennsylvania State UniversityElizabeth Rice, Indiana University

LATIN AMERICA

EUROPE

Rome, ItalyKeren Hall, Pennsylvania State University Natalie Brewster, George Washington UniversitySuzanne Hodgson, Pennsylvania State University Julie Grisanti, University of Notre Dame

Seville, SpainCaroline Belloff, University of Wisconsin, MadisonChris McKenna, Pennsylvania State UniversityJayna Stonick, Pennsylvania State UniversityKristi A. Fini, Northeastern UniversityMeagan Murray, Ithaca CollegeLindsey Franco, University of Florida

Aix-en-Provence, FranceBrad Keist, Indiana University Anna Simonak, Ithaca College Alyson Morris, Pennsylvania State University

Amsterdam, NetherlandsMichael Soha, University of New Hampshire Rosanna Chhun, California State University, Long Beach

Athens, GreeceThomas Arm, Hamilton College Jennifer Norris, Community College of Baltimore County

Brussels, BelguimHolly Fletcher, Northeastern University

Geneva, SwitzerlandKelly Filiak, George Washington UniversityRandall Herz-Thyhsen, George Washington University

Paris, FranceAdaobi Onyenwe, Wellesley College Kristin Francoz, Columbia University Karin Sun, Duke University Susan Pham, Northeastern University Judy Luo, Wellesley College Carly Pifer, Northeastern University

Prague, Czech RepublicMargaret Fesenmaier, Pennsylvania State UniversityJames Waller, Northeastern University Andrea Finlayson, New York University

Vienna, AustriaJason Forbes, University of WichitaLaura McHugh, The College of Wooster

Beijing, ChinaIsaac Wang, Cornell University Jacqueline Collins, University of Notre Dame

Tokyo, JapanSarah Andrus, Cornell University

ASIA

Brisbane, AustraliaHaley McGuire, George Washington University Alexandra Klein, Rutgers UniversityLisa Marvin, Pennsylvania State University

Melbourne, AustraliaJulia Stein, Carnegie Mellon UniversityLeslie Potter, Pennsylvania State UniversityAlison Brusch, Georgetown UniversityKimberly White, University of Maryland

Sydney, AustraliaDouglas Waxman, Indiana UniversityJessica Choromanski, Pennsylvania State University Jessica Man, Northeastern University Rachit Choski, Rutgers UniversitySara Kichler, Indiana University Lauren Gelfman, Rutgers University Amanda Yngelmo, Georgetown University

AUSTRALIA

Auckland, New ZealandHana Visaya, University of California, Irvine Niki Calicchio, Loyola College in MarylandVanessa Smith, Northeastern University

Christchurch, New ZealandNick Corasaniti, Ithaca College

Dunedin, New ZealandKatie A. McCullough, Arcadia University

Wellington, New ZealandKyle Anderson, University of Missouri

NEW ZEALAND

EUROPE, cont’d

When you first enter London you are completely blown away by the cost of it all. Do not worry,

it gets better once you establish yourself and find a few cheap places that you enjoy. However, knowing nothing, you stumble aimlessly around the streets looking at facades of restaurants and decide based on some sort of intuition that the eatery before you is worthy of your patronage. After the bill comes, you realize that your meal may have cost you between 8 and 10 pounds and you start thinking about eating one solid meal a day and then spending the rest on liq-uids at the pubs or bars, which is actu-ally not a bad idea.

Somewhere in your travels around London, and this is a guarantee, you will see a large sign advertising a £3, all-you-can-eat, Thai buffet called the Yes Buf-fet. This sign stands out amongst all of the disgustingly exorbitant charges from all of the other restaurants you have eaten in, and you think to yourself, “I am hungry, I could eat more than £3 of food, I like or I am willing to try Thai food and the sign tells me Yes, I should eat there.” You also think that you have

found some sort of loophole, a gem in the dark and winding streets of down-town London, a small reprieve from the overbearing price lords of the city. Un-fortunately, you have not. I hate to be the one to say this, because I try not to believe it, but things that seem too good to be true often are.

You will walk in to the buffet with your £3 in coins, feeling very city savvy as I once did, and you will take a seat, only to realize the first of many drawbacks. £3 gets you all-you-can-stuff-into-a-tiny-take-away-box, not all-you-can-eat. To sit down, they charge you an extra £2 (total-ing approximately $10 for those of you in the U.S.) making it already somewhat not worth the price. You may say to me now, “I am really hungry, I could eat more than £5 of food easily!”

Well, I say good luck to you, because there was some more fine print (and I mean re-ally small) on that £ 3

by Christian Sherden

buffet sign that you were too hungry to read that says that everything in the buf-fet is vegetarian. You will, as I did, walk up to the buffet and eagerly scoop heaps of sweet and sour chicken, Szechuan duck, sweet chili beef onto noodles and rice with some steamed vegetables and plenty of little spring rolls. Sitting down you will behold a feast before you that is visually fantastic, but your first bite al-ready leaves something to be desired. It turns out after all that every one of those delicious animals you have carefully mounded on your plate is a soya animal; the British word for tofu. Not knowing this, you will scarf away at the selected meat items and wonder why it all tastes a little funny.

Now I don’t mean to out my vegetarian brethren with this review; there is some very delicious vegetarian food out there. The Yes Buffet is not one of these exam-ples. Everything on the buffet is served not hot, not room temperature, but cold. There is nothing like biting into a cold and soggy spring roll to make someone feel terrible. And, these are the best items on the menu. Do you remember haunted houses where you would close your eyes and stick your hands in someone’s intes-

Don’t like tea? Embrace it. Al-ready drink tea? Then you’re going to need to conform to

English tea standards. That means English breakfast tea: everywhere. Served “normal:” scalding hot water, a splash of milk, a tea bag. Remove the tea bag, and take out the spoon. Hold the mug by its handle. Drink slowly.

Prefer your tea black, with sugar? You’re a freak. Don’t do it. They may laugh — on the inside, of course. Re-fined English office-workers would never burst out laughing at their un-cultured American intern (as American office workers may). The best you’ll get is a crooked smile and a nod. And maybe some comments behind your back in the kitchen.

But, you need to learn to love the drink. Because in England, not only is the drink a nutritional staple, it is a so-cial etiquette. I have learned this my-self, over the past few weeks. Working in an office setting for a British non-profit group, I’ve learned tea’s signifi-cance quickly. At work, one co-worker makes a round, then the next, and so on. Tea is a shared task, a symbol of manners and politeness.

My third week at the job, I thought I had it down. Hard at work at my com-puter, tea in hand (made by Jess — I’d be up to make the next round), I fum-bled. Before I knew it, two sips into my morning’s first cup, my American grasp-of-the-mug failed. Tea all over. Luckily, office attire in the UK tends to be more casual, and at the end of the day, there was hardly any evidence of

the incident left on my dark jeans and black sweater. But my pride was shat-tered. Stupid American.

But along with the office network-ing aspect, tea is crucial to the study abroad savings plan. As a college stu-dent living abroad...well, tea is going to save your budget. Let me explain:

With exchange rates hovering just below 2-to-1 to the American dollar, tea will also assist your poverty-line lifestyle. When your flat runs out gas and the heat turns off, it will be your good friend tea who keeps you warm. Cup upon cup, upon cup. When the hot water is out and you are unable to shower, again, it will be tea. And (in the most likely scenario), when your fridge is bare, your stomach is growling, and your wallet is empty -- yet again! -- the English treat will fill and distract you. Upwards of five cups a day. Tea, tea, tea. Binge drinking reaches a new level.

Certainly, when you’re in the com-fort of your own flat, prepare your drink the way you like. Black, sugar, milk, cream, whatever. Or, if you’re really stubborn, then fine...drink cof-fee. Or water, or soda. Just know that you’re breaking an unwritten law.

Just don’t go home with yellowed teeth — remember to brush. You know what I mean.

tines and you were really grossed out? Well, those “intestines” were just cold noodles, and that’s what you are eating. Every taste of cold, fake meat is not only like chewing on a rubber sponge, but it is also all some kind of sweet with a bitter aftertaste (don’t ask me how).

I write this to you all as a warning. There are Yes Buffets all over the city and even some knock-offs that will advertise the same price. I am pretty sure that most of their customers are drawn in not knowing what they are getting into. The price, the food, and the restaurants look fantastic and they are all alluring enough that they probably do not need return customers because there are enough wandering tourists in London to keep them all in business. I know it is tempt-ing, and I know a few of you will disregard my advice and go anyway, but you will be disappointed. Save your money for something else or fill that stomach with two pints of beer and I promise that you will feel better and happier than if you

You are going to drink tea.

Photo by Jamie Andrew

by Kara Cusolito

Christian Sherden is a junior at Washington Uni-versity in St. Louis. Kara Cusolito is a junior at Ith-aca College. They are part of a talented team of Café Abroad writers studying in London.

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