Fellow Stories
True gap year stories from Fellows abroad!
Check out the latest blogs from Global Citizen Year Fellows in Brazil, Ecuador, and India!
Category
Class Year
Country
Luxurious?
Emily Hanna
2011-09-14
Since arriving in Senegal, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about the concepts of privilege and luxury, and how drastically their definitions can change depending upon one’s environment. Personally, my perception of what constitutes a “luxury” has shifted dramatically since my immersion into Senegalese culture. There are material aspects of of this duality of luxury, of course;...
Read More
Walking the Talk
Trevor Porter
2011-09-13
It’s always easy to say something, but to actually experience and know it is a whole different matter. I came to Ecuador knowing I would experience a different way of life, however, I didn’t realize the extent of the challenge I was taking. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m welcoming the challenges of the coming...
Read More My Friend Dan, the Hippo
Madeline Ripa
2011-09-13
The moment I stepped off the plane in Dakar was the first time I set foot on foreign soil. I’ve been experiencing culture shock every since then, and am loving every minute of it! With that said, I’ve had a few misunderstandings, mistranslations, and overall struggles. The following is a compilation of them all. ...
Read More
Commitments
Winson Law
2011-09-13
I wear a frayed pink yarn bracelet around my wrist every day. It’s a reminder of the last night before all 56 fellows left for Ecuador, Senegal, and Brazil. That night,as often the case during Fall Training, we formed a circle for our final activity. In this closing ceremony, each person voiced a commitment that...
Read More
The Dog That Broke My Heart
Annie Plotkin
2011-09-13
Sunday in Salvador is a quiet day for Brazilians to cook at home with their families and walk the beach. For Gringos who do not have a kitchen, Sunday is a day to search for the few restaurants that are open in order to get a hold of the typical big lunch. Six of us...
Read More
Cultural Explosion
Antonio Peluso
2011-09-13
Making the choice to take a gap year was a difficult decision filled with skepticism, second thoughts, and sometimes criticism from others. I wondered if I was straying too far from my path to follow my passion for music. Brazil seemed like a surreal and magical country filled with so many things I...
Read More
Learning to Unleash; A Day With the Girl Effect
Annie Plotkin
2011-09-12
On the morning that the Nike Girl Effect came to Stanford, eleven of us debated about whether the card that said “financial reserves that can be used for an emergency” should go under responsibilities for a girl that was 14 or 16. Then we discussed the card that said, “should know the national marriage laws”...
Read More
A Guide to… Meeting the Best Brazilians
Mariah Donnelly
2011-09-12
Ola amigos. The following post will be useful for anyone who is interested in meeting the best Brazilians. This guide comes from the heart and first hand experiences. It is especially useful for people who know little Portuguese. First, in order to find the most friendly Brazilians one must first fail at being able to...
Read More
Instant Tourist Attraction
Sarah Coyne
2011-09-12
I pretty much get constant stares anywhere I go on the streets of Salvador. My blonde hair blue-eyed status is something quite foreign in a place where around eighty percent of the population is Afro-Brasilian, and I’m pretty sure my khaki pants and chaco sandals do not help my cause. Needless to say, I attract...
Read More
Care for some Tea?
Samuel Parson
2011-09-12
…Let me fire some up for you. So as you can see, the ways things go in Senegal do not go the same way as things in the US. If you didn’t know Senegal is a third-world country where our every-day conveniences like electric stove tops, cars, and even toilet paper along with so many...
Read More
Time Spent Pondering
Brian Baylor
2011-09-10
As I take my Siesta time, reminiscing rather than sleeping, my mind is racing, wondering what to think of it all thus far. I flash back to a “Fellow” and I, searching for his house, wandering aimlessly, confused on what was left and right in a district in Dakar known as S.I.C.A.P Mermoz. In our...
Read More
CAUTION BEFORE READING
Russell Bollag-Miller
2011-09-09
Firstly, for those of you who are choosing to follow this blog and read about my thoughts and experiences, I thank you very much for taking an interest either in me, the mission that I have for this year, or maybe just for the cool stories (hopefully) that I will relay. The overarching goal that...
Read More