The last few weeks of my trip were tiring and hard, but worth the effort for the work we were doing. For the last two weeks of the trip, we worked in schools with children in kindergarten to grade six mostly. These children have never had the opportunity to have their teeth cleaned. While we did not have the time or resources to clean each and every single child’s teeth, we were able to apply fluoride to help make their teeth stronger and decrease the chances of further decay from occurring. We also provided them with information on how to properly brush their teeth. We travelled by car to many different areas surrounding Cebu City. We spent a week at Mount Olives Christian School in Consalasion and Mandaue. We spent three days at Napo Elementary School in Napo, Guadalupe and we spent the last tw...
Everything about Kathmandu is colourful. The stupas are gilded in gold, the temples are bordered with red and yellow, and the Himalayas are a stark white against the soft blue sky. But it was the people more than anything else that made me love Nepal.
In January, I travelled to Nepal as a Junior Professional Consultant through the United Nations Association in Canada’s (UNA-Canada) International Development & Diplomacy Internship Programme (IDDIP) to work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), specifically with the Democratic Transition Unit (DTU). The DTU assists with Nepal’s democratic transition following the ten-year armed civil conflict between the Maoist rebels and government forces that ended in 2006. My placement was set for six...
Travel days are sometimes so full of new sights, sounds, physical and emotional changes, that it's hard to imagine that the morning was part of the same day as the evening. Today was one of those.
Breakfast in Venice was full of fond goodbyes and best wishes as our field school finished. Some people were heading home but others would continue travelling. Rain poured buckets on the first group as they wheeled their baggage over the cobbled streets, clutching mini-umbrellas or sporting lollipop-coloured disposable ponchos sold by street vendors. I headed to the train station shortly after, reveling in walking the early morning streets. Everywhere vibrated with the commerce of running a tourist enclave; construction, garbage collection, deliveries, repairs, cleaning. What's unique is that eve...
If I could give one piece of advice to students studying abroad, it would be this - get to know the apps in your city! I was fortunate enough to get to study in South Korea, one of the most technologically-advanced countries in the world. While abroad I took advantage of local apps to help me adjust into my new life. Not all countries have this luxury, but it is a great idea to know what your country excels in. I recommend taking some time to look into whether you can use technology to your advantage to overcome culture shock, or to help you get around the city. Technology comes in all shapes and sizes, but for starters, I’m going to go on the assumption that most university kids will have a smartphone. If you do, research your apps! Apps are absolutely amazing, and can help you out in many situa...