Saturday, June 21, 2014

Welcome to my blog!

Hello, my name is Faiz Mandviwalla. In this first blog post of mine, I'll tell you a little bit about myself and why I'm starting this blog now. Below, you'll even find a somewhat flattering picture of myself at a beautiful hidden gem we find in the park here!

Most people have traveled somewhere totally different from their home at least once in their life, and probably didn't give much thought to cultural differences. But, consider LIVING somewhere totally new, even for just 2 months in the summer. The little differences quickly become apparent, and can make or break your, or in this case my, experience abroad.

This summer I'll be living in Barcelona, Spain, primarily to intern in the field of public relations and strategic communications. Interning abroad in my field is critical to having an international understanding of culture, enabling me to be more successful in connecting to people's of all backgrounds.

Like I said, it's the little differences that can make or break an experience; one such little difference is that I'm typing (or trying to, at least) this post on a Spanish keyboard, which means that many of the symbols and keys are in different places. Also, my computer is torn between reviewing my work in English or in Spanish, so currently almost every word here has a red underline, because my computer chose Spanish as the language of the day. Perhaps I'll try typing en español? Ahora, estamos en mi trabajo, and my Spanish really isn't very good. But, I think I've done a good job blending in, yesterday two different Spanish women asked me for directions on the metro...in Spanish. In terms of actually helping them, I went a solid 1 out 2, but I think (!) my Spanish is really improving.

I hope that you will enjoy my posts this summer, as I detail various aspects of what life is like here in beautiful Barcelona!




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