Tag: culture

From the Vibrancy of Hong Kong to the Movie Sets of the USA

As my journey as an exchange student from Hong Kong began I travelled around the US for a couple of weeks before reaching Philadelphia. My first destination in the United States was the vibrant city of Los Angeles. The transition from the bustling streets of Hong Kong to the car-centric lifestyle of Los Angeles was ...

From Philly to Seoul: Embracing Everyday Contrasts

Kiki Lin, ’25, is a Computer Science major studying at Hanyang University this Summer 2023 While living in South Korea, I have noticed a few things about the day-to-day life and their systems that I really like compared to the United States and I am here to share them! I think these will vary from ...

Pura Vida Tales pt. 2: Weekend Adventures

For my final post, I wanted to conglomerate my weekend adventures aside from the cultural activities done with ICDS. Costa Rica is beyond amazing and has anything and everything for all people. Surfing, white water rafting, hot springs to name a few of things my friends and I were able to do while in country. ...

A Compilation of Culinary Culture Shocks

 While it has been a delightful experience residing in the United States, particularly in Philadelphia, there have been moments when I felt like an outsider from another planet.  One of the most intriguing aspects of cultural diversity is undoubtedly the culinary aspect. Most of the menus here list the amount of calories in each dish ...

Barcelona Visit Recommendations

1. Tapas: Known for its variety of options and the social benefits it brings when consumers gather to eat it, tapas is a quintessential part of Spanish culture, so of course a tourist destination like Barcelona is going to have some great tapas locations. Three of the best I either tried, researched or both are ...

Host Living in Costa Rica

Hola mi gente! Before coming, one of the biggest questions I was asked was, “So where are you staying?”. As for this program, instead of living in dorms or in solo apartments, we lived with host families. Every student had their own separate family to live with, but we were all in the same general ...

Pura Vida Tales: First Encounters

Hola mi gente, I should be packing, instead I find myself procrastinating and reminiscing. What better way to help reminisce than to tell as many people as possible. So, for the foreseeable blog future, walk down memory lane with me. Costa Rica is a relatively small country with a population of around 5 million, about ...

A reflection on my past two months in Philly

It is the final week of Winter Term. This is going to be my last blog entry, and I feel like it is a good time to do some review and reflection on my two and a half months in Drexel. As a medical student, I did not have the chance to learn things outside ...

The Art of Living in Spain

Presence is far more rewarding than productivity. And life in Europe is the perfect example for it. Europe has a lot to offer. Apart from the beautiful scenery, delicious food, affordable travel and amazing architecture, the culture and the people in Europe have taught me that every second is meant to be savored. During my ...

5 New Fruits!

Costa Rica is incredibly biodiverse and is also the home to many different microclimates. These microclimates are home to an array of fresh fruits, vegetables, and livestock that supply the Costa Rican population throughout the year. During my time here, I have tried many different foods, including some fruits that I personally had never had ...