Blog Archives

  • Blog

Catalysts, Courts, and Chilli: My Singapore Experience

GRIP: Engineering Research in Singapore Spending a summer in Singapore, I imagined long hours in the lab, challenging scientific problems, and maybe a few late-night reactions. I got all of that, and so much more. What I didn’t expect was how much I’d learn outside the lab: from the chaos of hawker centers to the…

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Stepping into Pura Vida

GRIP: Sustainable Development in Monteverde, Costa Rica Arriving in the country of ticos and ticas in the middle of the night trying to understand everything from the language to the unique ways of living felt surreal. Although I was completely lost at first, I soon encountered a kind taxi driver who patiently engaged with my…

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Learning to Speak Spanish—Again—in Buenos Aires

GRIP: Social Impact in Buenos Aires, Argentina Coming from a Spanish-speaking household, I assumed that adjusting to life in Buenos Aires would be seamless. I spoke Spanish—so why wouldn’t I blend in like a local? That illusion was quickly shattered, even before I landed. On my flight, I sat next to a native Argentinian whose…

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Best 2 Weeks So Far – Work at Taipei City Government

GRIP: Taipei City Government Upon arriving in Taipei, I was immediately struck by the vibrant energy of the city—the fast pace, the sounds, and the buzz of daily life. On my first day at the Department for Youth, I joined the other interns for orientation on the 9th floor of the Taipei City Government Office.…

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Misadventures in Montevideo

GRIP:  Entrepreneurship in Montevideo, Uruguay Of the many stories I carry from my years in Spanish classes, one that has stayed with me and has proven to be surprisingly relevant during my time in Montevideo, was told by my sixth grade Spanish teacher. She had been living abroad in Spain and was recounting her day…

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What the Wind Knows: Notes from the Steppe

PGS: Mongolian Civilization: Nomadic and Sedentary Will, one of the Penn Global Seminar Correspondents, shares his experience abroad during the May 2025 travel period. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. Why go to Mongolia? Maybe you love to travel. Maybe you’re interested in nomadism. Maybe you’re interested…

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A Thank You Letter to Penn and the World

PGS: Disability Rights and Oppression: Experiences within Global Deaf Communities Tasmiah, one of the Penn Global Seminar Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during the May 2025 travel period. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. When I applied to Penn, I was asked to write a thank…

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In the Absence of Certainty

PGS: Rivalry, Competition and International Security in Northeast Asia Lala, one of the Penn Global Seminar Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during the May 2025 travel period. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. Ten days is not a long time. But, being immersed in a new…

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Packing for Wakefulness: Mongolia Beyond The Map

PGS: Mongolian Civilization: Nomadic and Sedentary Will, one of the Penn Global Seminar Correspondents, shares his experience abroad during the May 2025 travel period. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. The movie director David Lynch once said that “If you have a golfball sized consciousness, when you…