America the Great

Three problems with America:
One problem began in the 1980s with former President Ronny Reagan. His "war on drugs" could in theory be good, if done correctly. Instead, Reagan's war has wasted billions and billion of dollars, targeting users and addicts, rather than distributors. In the 1980s congressed passed a 100:1 law with crack cocaine. Crack was a popular street drug because it is cheap, and easy to make. The new 100:1 law made it so 5 grams of crack cocaine received a minimum sentence of 5 years, while in it's purer form 500 grams of cocaine received a minimum sentence of 5 years. The crack epidemic of the late 80s and 90s resulted in a widening education gap between whites, blacks, and hispanics. The education gap has lessened since then, but is still prevalent.
Another problem is our health care system. At the increasing rate of the cost of health care, we might not even have it in 40 years, when my generation will need it. The political parties we have now can not come to an agreement, they only argue that their side is better and the opposing belief is flawed, never coming to a consensus.

Gesutre - Touchdown

Although it may not be an everyday gesture, the touchdown symbol - raising both your hands up simultaneously - is generally used when watching a game of football or participating in one. In the popular television show, How I Met Your Mother, Barney (played by Neil Patrick Harris) uses the touchdown symbol to mean "I did it!" as a sign of excitement and accomplishment.

Confusing sign

Although it may not look confusing, or be that "abnormal" there are two signs that I think are confusing, in a subtle way. In Massachusetts there are a few towns that are pronounced wildly different than they are spelled. When entering these towns one might be thrown off (if given a destination verbally). About 35 minutes north of me is a small fishing town called Gloucester (this is the less confusing one of my two examples), looking at it you might think it's pronounced "glue-cester" or something similar to that. It is actually pronounced "glawster." The more difficult one, which often gives non-Massachusans an issue is the town of Worcester. I've heard it called Warchester more times than I can count. In reality the Worcester is pronounced "Wusster."

Typical weekday and Saturday night

My typical weekday is nothing special, I have classes at different times (depending on the day) and after classes it's a real toss up. I might go play basketball, or eat dinner (Monday and Wednesday I get out of class at 5:45), or maybe even take a nap. After that I'll finish my homework, and hang out with my friends.
My typical Saturday night, I either won't do anything, and end up hanging out in my room playing Call of Duty: Black Ops, or I'll go out with my friends to a party or something fun and enjoy the night until early Sunday morning (4am or later). Other than that, nothing really goes on.

"Nose Goes!"

A group of people racing to touch their fingers to their noses usually signifies that a game of "nose goes" is going on. This game is generally played to decide which unfortunate individual must complete some unpleasant task - such as cleaning up a mess, being the designated driver, forgoing a last piece of cake, etc. Like a good game of rock, paper, scissors, this game is good for figuring out who wins/loses a certain prize...and works far better than rps for groups bigger than 2!

Confusing Sign

Though he may look kind of scary, this guy is Uncle Sam and represents America! This image was first introduced during WWI and was usually accompanied with the slogan "I Want YOU for the US Army."

The term "Uncle Sam" is sometimes used to represent the United States (same initials...). When paying taxes to the government, for example, some people say they're paying Uncle Sam. Other times, when people think the government is getting to involved, this picture appears with the slogan "Uncle Sam is Watching You" (like the Orwellian 'Big Brother').

Typical weekday and Saturday

Weekdays generally include some mosh of classes, work, meals and homework, as I'm sure is similar among all students! As I live off campus and suffer from severe lack-of-car syndrome, my mornings usually begin with a mad dash to the door with whichever of my roommates happens to be leaving around the same time I need to be on campus. So far this has worked pretty well, though does add a bit of stress in the mornings!

Most weeknights I'm busy with classes or group meetings until about 9, and then it's back to the apartment - this trip usually involves bumming more rides, or taking a shuttle halfway and walking the rest - and squeezing in some work before bed.

I don't think I have a typical Saturday night. Some Saturdays I hang out with my roommates at the apartment, though other weeks I go out with friends to the bars down the street...it all depends on my mood (and the weather!) Some Saturdays there's campus basketball games, which are really fun to go to! Saturday days are equally different - sometimes I'm ambitious and get a lot of work done, while othertimes I bum around, make food, go out around the area, and generally avoid productivity all together.

See You Feb 26

Hi ePals--
Here is a link to our itinerary in Argentina.  We hope you can meet us for dinner Feb 26 in the evening!
We are looking forward to meeting you in person!!
Ciao for now,
Dr. Hollis

Three Wishes

I hope I enjoy my upcoming job after graduation. I am moving to Wisconsin (in the Midwest) in January 2012 to begin a new job, and am hopeful I will enjoy this new phase of my life. If not, I hope I never stay with a job I dislike because of money, but have the courage to follow my passions and interests.

Travel-wise, I would love the opportunity to visit all the 50 states. There is so much diversity within my own country, I think it would be an amazing experience to learn and see what each area has to offer...I foresee a major road trip in my future!

I hope I never live too far from the ocean, or at least a large body of water (I guess the Great Lakes will have to do during my stint in Milwaukee!)

Hello! I'm Meg and I'm a senior at Villanova Univeristy where I study math and economics. I live in a smallish town in Connecticut...the picture to the left shows my sisters and me in our yard. My sisters are on Nutmeg, while I'm riding Emma.

Most of my travelling has been throughout the US - family vacations generally include hiking/camping trips either to New England mountains or our National Parks, such as Yellowstone and Grand Canyon. The parks are amazing!! Last spring I studied for a semester in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was a freezing four months, but an amazing time. I've never lived in a city before, so every day was an adventure!

HI

DEAR ALL,
BE PATIENCE I HAVE NEVER POSTED IN A BLOG
STELLA

Post #1 Daniel Díaz

Well, my name is Daniel Díaz, as you might have guessed. I'm a local here in Argentina, from Buenos Aires, although I don't live in Capital Federal, just in the suburbs outside the city.
I am 29 years old, and a former student of Stella's Buenos Aires School of English. I think I've studied there since I was 6, and took classes for about what, 10, 11, 12 years? IDK. Stella can correct me. There were the famous tests like FCE, CAE and such, which I never really took for personal reasons. However, over the years and years of watching TV and listening to music, and after a 3-year-experience working as a tech support engineer (yes, I'm THAT IT guy), on 9 hour shifts of taking inbound calls, I could say my accent really improved. I am now working at IBM, and it's been more than 5 years since I took my first position there as a Logical Access support engineer.
Being there for 3 years, I decided it was time for me to take another shift inside the company, something that would allow me to learn a new skill I could take with me somewhere else, if the circumstances called for it, and so I took internal courses there to become a Storage Admin, which is my current position in there.

Leaving the boring part aside, I love going out with friends (who doesn't?) to bars and clubs, dancing and partying a lot.
I love watching TV shows, like Family Guy, American Dad, Project Runway, Dexter, The Big Bang Theory, America's Next Top Model, the works.

I'm not really sure whether I should extend my introduction here, or if you guys should just meet up with me, with the local team, and see where this all goes.

Oh, I'm just trying to figure out how to attach my picture here, 'cause apparently I'm a stupid person when it comes to blogging, among other things xD

See you all around!

Post #1: Jack Clark

Hey everyone, my name is Jack Clark and I'm a sophomore English major. This past summer I went to Turkey with my family to visit my Aunt and Uncle. It was an unbelievable experience, unlike anything I've done before. The picture I used is of me and my cousin Charlie eating Turkish Pide (pizza) overlooking the capital city, Ankara.

When I'm not at Villanova I spend my time in my home state of Massachusetts. I live in a small harbor town named Marblehead, which is the town next to the historic Salem witch city. In the winter I love to go snowboarding - my family owns a house in western Maine. Unfortunately Pennsylvania doesn't have great mountains so I don't waste my time bringing my board to school. In the other three seasons I enjoy playing a mix of basketball and football, throw in some wiffleball here and there.

Welcome to the VU/Argentina Blog!

Hi There Everyone!

I hope you will enjoy sharing information about yourselves and your culture on this blog.  Each week I have given you a topic to write about, and hopefully we will all get to know each other and our countries better this way.  Blog Assignments can always be found under the Blog Archives area on the right side of the blog.  Just look for January and then "Blog Assignments."

First of all, please click on "New Post" and introduce yourself.  Say a little about your life and current activities--and don't forget your picture!  You will see that Dr. Hollis was the first to post on the blog.  Now you be next please!  This will be “Post #1:  Introduction: Your Name.”

Always number your posts and give them a title.
Peace!
Dr. Hollis

PS--Don't hesitate to click on the Comment button to leave a comment about an epal's post.

Post #1--Introduction: Dr. Karyn Hollis

Hi Everyone-- Dr. Hollis Here.
This is my 21st year at Villanova! I've been very happy since I got here. One reason is because before VU, I spent 5 years at Dickinson College, and I was tired of the small town life (Carlisle, PA). I am going backwards, but before Dickinson I did my Ph.D. at the University of Southern California. I really enjoyed California--especially all the sunshine. I was used to that being from Texas (Corpus Christi) originally.

I did my Masters at the University of Texas in Austin, and that's where I met my husband. In 1988 we had a son who's now 22 and a senior at Syracuse University.

Our greatest family activity has been our house trading ventures to Europe every summer. Through a home exchange organization (Intervac.com and HomeExchange.com), we have traded with families from Spain, Italy, and France. They venture to our house in Wynnewood, PA to live for about 3 weeks, and we go to their homes--most have been right on the Mediterranean coast. This summer we went back to Provence in France, but the middle week of our three week vacation, we went to Senegal--the hardest but most meaningful trip we've ever taken. I hope you can all go to Africa for the very enlightening experience it is!

I also travel to South America over spring break with students in my travel writing class. I've been to Costa Rica, Chile, Peru and Brazil. This spring break I willtake my travel writing class to Argentina to see Buenos Aires, Iguasu Falls and the glaciers of Patagonia! Anyone want to come with us? See me.

I lived in Europe 7 years quite a while back: three years in Paris, three in London and one in Bilbao, Spain. I speak fluent Spanish and French. While in London I was assistant editor of Harper's Wine and Spirit Gazette. That was an exciting point in my life--I was paid to report on wine tasting events all over London! And that's where I got most of the experience that relates to many of my courses. I also have a BA in Journalism from the University of Texas.

I have recently published a book about the way writing was taught at the Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers, 1922-1938. And I have just finished editing a book about the role of intellectuals in society with Dr. Silvia Nagy-Zekmi, Director of the Cultural Studies Program here at Villanova.

At Villanova I have been director of the Writing Center and Writing Program. Then seven years ago, I established a Concentration in Writing and Rhetoric. Maybe it will interest some of you. You can combine the Concentration with any major, but it goes especially well with English or Communication majors since "double dipping" of courses is allowed. It will certify that you have taken extra courses in order to become a better communicator and writer. This course can count toward the Concentration. Check out the Concentration here. http://www.writingprogram.villanova.edu/concentration So that's about it. Hope to read more of your self-introductions soon! Dr. Hollis --

Blog Assignments

Monday January 17	ePals Post 1 -- Introduce yourself and your interests, include a photo.
Wednesday January 19	epals post 2 - If you had 3 personal wishes that could come true, what would they be?
Monday January 24	epals post 3 - Take a picture of a sign or poster that might be confusing to a visitor (political, commercial, advertisement, transportation, etc) and explain it.
Monday January 31	ePal Post 4 --Describe your typical weekday and and Saturday night.
Monday February 7	epal Post 5 -- Explain (with photo or video if possible) a cultural gesture (movement of arms,hands, fingers, whole body, head, etc.)
Monday February 14	E-penpals virtual meeting--Skype or Wimba
February 21 Monday	epal post 7 -- What are the three biggest problems facing your country today?
February 26-March 6	Spring Break—Vacation!
March 7 Monday	epal post 8 -- Informational photos.  Take a photo of two objects that are common in your culture but might be confusing to a visitor, and explain them (coins or bills, driver's license, favorite food, etc).
March 14 Monday	epals post 9 -- Explain your family's and your own personal political affiliation
March 21 Monday	epal post 10 -- What is your nominal religion? What does it mean to you?  What role does it play in your life?
March 28 Monday	epal post 11 - When did your family come to Brazil / USA and why? Describe your ethic background.
April 4 Monday	epal post 12 -- What are 4 qualities that Brazilians associate with Americans and vice versa
April 11 Monday	epal post 13 -- Describe the role your family prescribes for women
April 18 Monday	epal post 14 -- Predict the fate of the natural world in your culture
April 20 Wednesday (Last Post)	ePal Post 15 -- Work out a list of 5 things you have in common with your epals.
April 21-26	Happy Easter!
April 27 Wednesday	Live Webinar with epals--Good Bye (or not!)