A wise Colombian tour guide one said that to speak more than one language is to physically divide oneself in two — and to experience the world as two separate beings. During our time in Cartagena this summer, I couldn’t help but think of the city as having a split personality of its own: so…
Both Ellen Hahm, C’12, WG’19, G’19, and Amy Kim, WG’19, G’19, grew up in expat American communities and attended international schools in South Korea, but until they came to Wharton and Lauder, neither had experienced immersive Korean language academics. Ellen and Amy are the first two students in Lauder’s Korean program, the newest of Lauder’s…
Our Africa immersion started with a 5-week language program. It was a priceless opportunity to practice French, to experience the business environment and the cultures of Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Morocco. This has been achieved through various classes (French and African cinema/theatre, political economy and sociology), as well as corporate and cultural visits. From the…
Ernest Hemingway said that Paris is a moveable feast – and the French track is digging in. An undeniable highlight of our immersion was our cooking class at Ecole Ferrandi. Ecole Ferrandi was established by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1932 and has become one of the top culinary institutes in Paris.…
Eight of us piled into the van, the door held shut with a bungee cord, and we began our ascent up the hill of Vidigal as Brazilian funk music hummed from the radio. We weaved through the narrow streets, past electronic shops, art studios, restaurants, schools, and kids playing soccer on the inclined street. The…
A narrow residential lane in Chandni Chowk. Photo: Vedica Kant Delhi, old and new. New Delhi, the capital of India, is a slightly schizophrenic, multi-layered city. Its name itself is a topic of discussion. Why is it ‘new’ Delhi? Is there an ‘old’ Delhi? Can you use the name Delhi and New Delhi interchangeably? These…
Brasília is a fever. A cauldron of activity that the Lauder Portuguese programhad the opportunity to experience first hand this July. The city is a fever dream. It’s the execution in the Brazilian planalto of a plan to move the capital that existed for decades. It was the vision of Juscelino Kubitchek for the country…
Shadow of Burj Khalifa extending to the Dubai landscape Standing at the base of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai’s hot and humid summer, we struggled to spot the pinnacle of the tower against the searing sun. Towering at 828 meters (2,716.5 ft.) high, the Burj Khalifa in is the tallest structure in the world. It…
Award-winning entrepreneur Nidhi Shah, WG’17, G’17, has set out to fill human needs, whether toilets for urban India through her social enterprise or free lunch on Fridays for her entrepreneurial classmates. Most successful businesses start by fulfilling a need. When Nidhi Shah, WG’17, began her business, she set out to fulfill one of the most…
Sake is a traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage. While the word sake in Japanese means ‘alcohol’, it is often used to refer to nihonshu 日本酒, or Japanese rice wine. As part of our Lauder immersion, we took part in a sake tasting event. Like wine, sake has many subtle and complex flavors that require some background…
