Welcome...

"It's ALL HAPPENING!"- Almost Famous

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Paris and more...

Monte Carlo, Monaco July 2005
My first trip outside of the US and Mexico was in 2005 when I was given the ultimate gift (birthday/christmas/any other possible holiday that I could count for that particular year) to visit my friend Laura in her home town of Saint Raphael, France. I was with her and her family for a total of 10 days. Originally the plan was to stay 14 days in the southeast coast of France, but I needed to visit Paris. It was a must. While in Saint Raphael, I decided to book a ticket to Paris for the last 4 days of my France excursion. I must say that the 4 days that I spent in Paris by myself were, by far, the most wonderful and fulfilling days of my entire life. I have always wanted to return. I am proud to say that I will be, 6 years later, in the same city that gave me beautiful things to look at and 2 € chocolate croissants. Life does not get any better. Of course, paradise has its price. Fortunately I received a scholarship of $1,000 that will go towards my tuition (≈1,300/unit). The course I will be taking in Paris is Globalization, Memory and Visual Culture with Professor Nicholas Mirzoeff. I also realize that in my previous post I did not mention Paris as an optional site for studying abroad, but I attended an information session and I was sold at the mere thought of, again, eating chocolate croissants while drinking a cup of coffee in a typical Parisian cafe, all while staring at the 'Tour Eiffel' (with my French accent).
Roxy & Me, January 2011
My degree at NYU requires a total of 36 units. At the end of summer I will be at 30 units completed. I had initially thought that I would have to leave NYC and move back to California unless I was able to score a really great job to be able to afford the cost of living here, but that is not the case. Our graduate advisor Mary, is amazing and has an answer for anything you throw at her. She explained that I do not have to move back to California because I will only have 6 credits to complete in 2 semesters. This is how it will pan out: 6 units will be taken in the fall, and 0.5 units will be taken in the Spring towards my thesis. Since graduate school at NYU (and most other graduate schools) is usually paid for per unit, I will only be paying half of a unit more than what is necessary for graduation my last semester. I was also freaking out at the thought that I would have to perhaps write a thesis by fall. Ask Martha. She is usually the one hearing me out with all these random thoughts. Thank you MARTHA!!!
Boston, February 2011
Currently, I am working with a few of my classmates to submit a panel for NCA, which will be in New Orleans this year. In addition, I am also in the process of re-working an essay I wrote for my Communication Processes: Race, Gender, and Culture class last semester for the New York State Communication Association conference. On a similar note, I am also continuing to do research for the OBITEL yearbook with Prof. Pinon, on top of my 3 courses which are coming together in terms of fundamentally understanding the theories and their applications to everyday life. I was struggling at the beginning of the semester but little by little it is all coming together (thank baby Jesus).
Walking Home-Brooklyn Bridge, February 2011
I can't wait
I can't wait for Spring
I can't wait for some sun
I can't wait for some blue skies
I just can't wait

I want to wear shorts
I want to hear some real funny shit
I want to sip on some margaritas
All while chatting with my Amigitas

I can't wait to see my Familia
I can't wait to hug my little Coshita
I can't wait to eat some California Burritos
I just can't wait

I want to chill with the lil' Mocoso
I want to drink some momosas
I want to be in San Diego!
All while thinking that just in a few months
I will be, in yet, another city

PARIS




Saturday, February 5, 2011

Summer Abroad 2011 Answers...

I have no way of knowing until the 14th of this month if I will be able to study abroad. I did want to share how I answered these particular questions, just for feedback, and/or for future reference for anyone that is deciding to study abroad. If I do not get accepted then my answers can be used as the "do not's" and if I do, then...

Explain why you wish to participate in this study abroad program.

Leaving the ‘nest’ and the comforts of home is not an easy task. When I began my college career, back in 2004, I was not ready to venture out on my own. I completed my general education requirements at the local community college of my hometown Chula Vista, located in the Mexican border region of California. After 3 years, I felt ready and as I applied to 4-year institutions, I hoped to get accepted to the farthest one, California State University, Los Angeles. And I was. CSULA provided me with being away from home, but if need be, it would be a 2 hour drive down the interstate 5 freeway. For graduate school, I felt the need to continue the exploration, and thus applied to 7 schools all over the US. Luckily, I was accepted to NYU and I could not have asked for anything else. I have learned more about myself in the past 6 months, than I did in the year and half that I was in Los Angeles. I feel, that if given the opportunity to study abroad this summer will only enhance my studies, as well as provide me with a cultural standpoint that I have yet to experience in my 24 years of life.

Describe your academic interests as they relate to this study abroad program.

My academic interests are in Latinidad, global and transcultural communication. Granted, that this program I am applying to is in Europe instead of Latin America, but I would like to experience other cultures that I have less familiarity with. The approach that will be taken to analyze the national tendencies of cultural memory can be applied else where, such as my studies about Latin America, more specifically in Mexico. In addition, the course will also be providing a theoretical survey of the relationship between the United States and France, which will be beneficial to my future studies, as I would like to examine the relationships, as I am U.S. born, between the United States and Mexico. I do not know how I will be approaching the subject matter yet, but I believe this course will help me to further assess what I will be doing for my thesis; it will provide me with another approachable framework. It would be such a privilege to be able to take this course abroad.

Describe a significant intercultural experience issue or event and its impact on you.

Having been raised in Southern California, and living and experiencing only the Southern California region, it was a big culture shock when I initially moved to New York. I had rented an apartment a few months prior to my move, in the uptown area of Manhattan, W 137th Street between Frederick Douglas Boulevard and 7th Avenue. I have visited New York City twice before actually moving, and it all seemed so glamorous. My arrival was everything but glamorous. The neighborhood, Harlem, was nothing I had ever experienced before; my parents had never been to New York and the expression on their faces proved that they felt insecure and unsafe in departing and leaving me in a neighborhood that they did not recognize and that was predominantly African-American. The moral of this story is that I lack intercultural experiences. My parents have just recently began to travel outside of Mexico, and this is due to my own explorations; they like to accompany me on my journeys when ever possible. After living in Harlem for about 2 weeks, I moved to Brooklyn. I now live in a predominantly Cuban and Puerto Rican community. I was scared of the unexpected and because I was raised in the suburbs; the city life is very different. Thus, I have realized that I need to travel and expose myself to other ethnicities, other cities, and other lifestyles. I lack exposure to cultural differences; being able to study in France will give me another experience to add to my life.