I was warned about reverse culture shock at my first ever meeting for the Kenyon-Exeter program, long before I had sent in any applications or packed any bags. I knew this would be true. I get culture shock just going back and forth between Kenyon and my home in Pennsylvania--who knows what two countries is going to do to me.
My IPHS concentrators presentation was today!
Pronounced (kwi-ee-yah fay-cheat meek-hee ma-nyah)
Loosely translated to: who has done great things for me
This is one of the lines in one of my favorite Latin prayers; the Magnificat. It is the prayer of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ in thanksgiving to God for the great mercy He showed in choosing her to be the mother of His Son. I learned this prayer listening to people at church do a call and response after mass at the Catholic Church I attend in Lagos. It’s a prayer that resounds within me when I think of all the great things in my life. Especially in Junior year, when I have to apply opportunity cost in choosing the interests to pursue in the short time I have left at Kenyon.
For my second to last post from the Maghreb (I leave on the 14th!), I thought I’d write a guide to something that is an essential skill here: bargaining. I have yet to master the art of bargaining, which essentially amounts to the right combination of charm and disgust*, but I’ve come a long way since the beginning.
Being away from home during the holidays is hard, but it's even harder when you're in a country that doesn't celebrate them. Luckily, with the help of flatmates, Kenyon friends and professors, we were able to bring some of the cheer to England.