Over winter break, I found myself back in Hyderabad, India. A city of many religions and cultures, it was also once my home until I immigrated to the United States. While I was there, I had the unexpected opportunity to observe the practice of medicine at various levels. Because I had grown up in Hyderabad, […]
Seven twenty-five. I checked my watch again, stretching my legs to avoid the uncomfortable stares of students and pedestrians watching me loiter outside the IBC in the early morning. They would be here soon. We had formed our informal running quartet over the course of the fall semester, meeting weekly to jog a few miles, […]
Last year I went on my first long term backpacking trip. My destination? Australia! Planning my trip was very exciting! The idea of going to the other side of the world on my own for 3 months was at the same time frightening and exhilarating. It all started once I’d bought my ticket to Brisbane […]
The good ol’ United States of America; it’s the country I call home and also the country I find the most committed to being… ‘different’. All countries have their own identity. I’m pretty sure of this; I’ve met many people from various places all around the world and each one of them exudes a distinct […]
As a Chinese undergraduate student, I have spent more than four years in the U.S., so I am used to the American Culture: the way to behave and the way to think in this country. When I came back to China, I sometimes felt uncomfortable about some ways Chinese behave and think. Since I have […]
It’s 9:30pm on a Thursday evening. I am currently sitting alone at a table in ‘Founders Garden’ at my home university in northern Philadelphia. The sun crested over the tops of the buildings nearly an hour ago, and only the smallest traces of indigo are still left in the sky. I’m left under the illumination […]
The journey began with a call from my mom. “I’m going to South Korea for work,” she said. “Do you want to come?” All I knew about South Korea were Hyundai cars, Samsung phones, and the ever-catchy hit “Gangnam Style.” I had never thought about going there until that moment; honestly, the idea of traveling […]
What is the main incentive for domestic students to care about international issues? Some people may say that we should care about what is happening in other countries because those overseas problems can directly affect us, such as wars, pollution, and foreign policies. Others may say we might be travelling or even living in those […]
“Okay, I’m only missing two ingredients. I can go without them.” “Why is the chicken drumstick taking forever on the pan?” “Darn it! I forgot to season the meat!” “Well, the chicken is undercooked. I guess it’s rice and soy sauce for dinner tonight.” After two or three hours struggling to follow a recipe and […]
Change is a good thing in life, and it’s always needed to make sure we don’t end up falling into the pit of boredom. Some of these changes could be of subtle impact, some of huge impact, and some in between. One huge change I went through was when I moved from India to the […]
Ever since I was young, I always enjoyed bike riding. I remember my grandpa’s house was right beside a river. Everyday after school my grandpa would take me, with my bike, to the riverside, and we would go for a walk there. My grandfather and I shared a special bond, since I was the youngest […]
Tick tock, tick tock. Lying in the dark solitude of my bedroom, I ponder the questions I dare not ask aloud. Why was I abandoned? Why do I feel like I don’t fit into this family? These are the kinds of questions interracial adoptees struggle with, and none of them have easy answers. But, these […]
☆ Beyond Borders Writing Contest – 2nd Place ☆ The first time I meditate my legs hurt so badly that I think there must be something wrong with them. I am in a mango grove just outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand. The mangos are ripe and so heavy that they bend the branches of the trees. […]
☆ Beyond Borders Writing Contest – 4th Place ☆ I recall trying to teach algebra to my younger sister 7 years ago. I remember my frustration when she struggled to comprehend what I was trying to teach her. I told myself that I would not be able to be a good teacher. Fast-forward 7 years […]
☆ Beyond Borders Writing Contest 2017 – 1st Place ☆ Tucked away in the meandering gallies of a basti named Tigri, not far from Saket, New Delhi, there is a very impressive group of girls. Energetically, these girls dance behind closed doors, as if expressing their hesitations through their “it.” Dancing so they will not […]
Temple University, nicknamed “ The Diversity University,” has in recent years been one of the top schools in the country for the international diversity of its students and faculty. In fact, on Temple’s main campus, 128 countries are represented by Temple students. According to “Temple at a Glance 2016-2017”, a report about the student population […]
I was eight hours into my 14 hour flight when I woke up from my uncomfortable slumber to see that we were directly over the North Pole. Looking out the window and seeing an endless field of white, I quickly realized two things: that our planet is really unfathomably large and that Tokyo is really […]
[dropcap size=small]B[/dropcap]efore I headed to the United States, one American stereotype that I often heard was that “Americans sue each other a lot” which makes one visualize them as rather cold. Despite being a person who never judges people on the basis of cultural stereotypes, I strangely felt a little uncomfortable about this particular one, […]
We hear time and time again about the abundant opportunities America offers to its citizens and prospective citizens. It’s a blaring symbol of a promising future, or a blank canvas for a new life. Whether you were born in America or dreamed about moving here in hopes of fulfilling all the advantages this nation seems […]
“Home is where the heart is.” A timeless old quote by Pliny the Elder. Pliny was an ancient Roman author, natural philosopher, and the man who coined this famous quote. A common interpretation of this quote is that your home will always be the place for which you feel the deepest affection, no matter where […]
