PALs 2019-2020 Q&A with Bilaal Azeer, CAS '22

November 9, 2020
By Jackie Shi, CAS '21

Bilaal Azeer studies Politics, Philosophy, and Economics with minors in History and Survey Research and Data Analytics. During the 2019-2020 academic year, Bilaal is serving as a Penn Abroad Leader, which is Penn Abroad’s student advisory board focused on special projects and supporting fellow students interested in global experiences. We sat down with Bilaal to discuss his experience studying abroad as an international student, his most memorable moments, and his advice for fellow students.

What global experiences did you participate in and why did you choose them?
During the spring semester of my freshmen year I went to India and participated in a Penn Global Seminar (PGS) called The City of New Delhi: New, Old, and Unmapped, Travel to India. It was a writing seminar class. I chose India because I knew a little bit of Hindi because of my family’s background. I live in Mauritius now, but my great grandparents originally are from India. I wanted to revisit that heritage, understand more about the country, see how different and similar it is to living on a small island like Mauritius. I was also supposed to study abroad for this entire school year at the London School of Economics, but unfortunately because of COVID it was canceled.

Did you find your transition to India to be relatively easier because you’re somewhat familiar with the culture?
Yes, mostly because the people in Mauritius are mostly racially homogeneous and South Asian. Going to India didn’t feel like a big difference in comparison to coming to the United States and experiencing all the diversity within America.

What cultural differences and social customs were there and how did you navigate them?
There were a few social customs that stemmed from religious reasons that I wasn’t used to. For instance, when my class and I went to a recital that was in a Muslim shrine, we were split up because there were different entrances for men and women. Also, when we visited a mosque in central Delhi, the women were required to cover their heads as well. I saw how Delhi encompasses a plethora of religions and places of worship, and each lends something unique to the city’s life.

Another experience I wasn’t used to was that, because my classmates and I looked like tourists, people would constantly come up to us and try to sell us their goods. When we walked through the streets of Delhi, tuk-tuk drivers would always stop and ask us if we needed a ride. Also, I learned how to bargain while I was buying items from street merchants.

What were some of your favorite places that you visited?
Definitely the Taj Mahal. On our way there, my class and I stopped in the middle of the countryside and ate lunch at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere under a gazebo. We arrived at the Taj Mahal during sunrise and it was so beautiful to see the glow on the dome as the sun rose. The entire experience made it very special and memorable.

What were your biggest takeaways?
Be careful where you put your passport! On our way back home, one of my classmates lost her passport. She was holding it in her hand when she was removing an old luggage tag. She threw out her passport along with the luggage tag by accident. We spent an hour looking for her passport until we finally found it in the trash. Of course, there had to be one last mocking memory before we left India.

Also, don’t be afraid to try new things! But be careful with trying new foods.

Is there anything you would’ve changed about your time abroad?
Perhaps the length I was there. I wished I stayed a bit longer. But all in all, the people I traveled with and the places that I visited were all amazing. I just wish I was able to see more of India.

Some international students are hesitant to go abroad because they’re technically already studying abroad. What made you decide to study abroad?
The abroad experience I’ve had in the United States has already been amazing, and I’ve always had the goal of visiting other continents as well. I figured it’s a great opportunity to have a chance to go abroad and see other places in the world while also taking Penn classes.

Any advice for students applying to a PGS?
Be honest about where you want to go and try to include a personal connection in your application. Focus on why you want to go, why you’re interested in that place, and why you want to learn more about it.

What are your three travel essentials?
A neck pillow for the airplane, a toothbrush, and an extra pair of socks.

What’s your favorite food that you’ve eaten while in India?
Fried okra, Indian style. They make it differently in India than in America. I had never had it before, and it was something new I tried.

Not considering COVID, if you could go anywhere in the world where would you go right now?
London! This is a weird reason, but I love the Tube which is their underground subway system. It amazes me that it can take you anywhere you want to go so efficiently.  

Three words to describe your abroad experience:
Hot, White-Marbled (everywhere we went had white marble), and Firefighter (context: at one point in our trip, we saw firefighters do a drill and we got the chance to go on their cranes and see the city!).

Bilaal
Bilaal and fellow Penn PGS students in India

 

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Penn Global Seminars combine intensive semester-long study with a short-term travel component that deepens your understanding of concepts discussed in the classroom. Courses options are available for Penn undergraduate students across majors and years.