My Halloween - Baking and Twilight

It's been a while since I've stepped into the kitchen for something more than just a glass of water, being busy with so many assignments. And just being lazy overall. I'm ashamed to say that I haven't prepared a proper meal for a few weeks now. I know! I am definitely not practicing what I preached! But I did whip up a few sandwiches. Who knew there were so many ways you could make a sandwich?  I now have enough recipes in my repertoire to make a YouTube channel. 

This weekend was the time to climb out of this sink hole of avoiding the kitchen! Mind you it was not one of those 'wake up call moments' whereby you feel inspired, you know,  there's like this super bright light that gives you hope. 

This moment was prompted by an attempt to revise for upcoming exams. I was getting into my pre-exam routine - Twilight marathon on repeat, completing final chapters left before the few weeks of isolation, and endless days under my cozy blanket. 

And, nobody watches Twilight without something awesome to nibble on while swooning at Robert Pattinson's accent - yep, you can still hear it.

Twilight always awakens the master-chef within me and it gives me an urge to bake! I unearthed all my cooking utensils, dusted them off and set out to find possible ingredients in my pantry to whip up something 'nice' - in inverted commas. No one ever knows how it will turn out!

Attempt 1 - Chocolate Lava Cake whilst Bella meets Edward for the first time.  

Chocolate 'Moist-Inside' Cake

I  saw this video on YouTube last week and what better way to start a Twilight/Revision marathon than with a volcano eruption! As it turns out, I had all the necessary ingredients for this recipe and damn was I excited; but there was soon to be a kink in the road. 

Once again the internet was down (someone was downloading, a story for another time) and I had to improvise much of the steps based upon my prior experience in the kitchen my most loved dad. I did manage to whip up a good batter - according to me and soon the cups were in the oven. 

Well, it wasn't the lack of internet that would spoil the recipe but rather my love for the movies. I kind of forgot about the cakes in the oven and left them in there for more than the maximum 10 mins. And of course, the volcano did not erupt! Sad face. I wanted Pompeii! But really, who cares? The inside was still moist and the taste was exquisite. Don't you dare say that 'self praise is no praise'. I think everybody should give themselves some words of encouragement from time to time. 

Twilight and New Moon were enjoyed with a smooth Chocolate 'Moist Inside' Cake and the notes were completed with a very satisfied palette. 

Attempt 2 - Pumpkin Spice Cake - Bella marries Edward and sails off to their happily ever after 

Pumpkin Spice. It's everywhere! It's all you hear about these days online, and it's always accompanied by Starbucks. 

The magic ingredients

I was deep into the 'Hallow's Eve' mood this weekend and I wanted a little pumpkin spice of my own. I commemorated this usually eerie night (cue creepy music) with a Pumpkin recipe. 
A little note to all you, I do not like pumpkins! Like not at all. But I decided to embrace this festive mood anyway.

Unlike last year, where we had this really huge Halloween Party which consisted of a lot of dancing and really cool music from Seychelles that we don't hear everyday, I decided to stay home with my Twilight.

About that, my copy of Eclipse was not playing! Think it got corrupted in some way and as much as it pained me, I had to skip to  the wedding missing all the Jacob drama. 

End result!

Well, that doesn't really matter. The cake turned out alright and seeing Edward and Bella fight for their love made my Hallow's Eve. A nice way to spend this usually scary night, don't you think? With some not-so terrifying monsters and fresh baked goodies. 

I hope your Halloween was as scrumptious as mine!

Twitter Experience

Possible Hashtags

Today I wish to share with you my experience promoting @Student_Sejours on Twitter! 

I began my twitter experience the way all of the twitter users do, with my very first tweet introducing me to the world of 140 characters.

Racking up list of possible hashtags, mainly #StudyingAbroad and #CollegeAbroad, I set out on my journey to promote my blog by extensive use of this platform. I made the choice to use those hashtags as they were directly linked to my topic and there was a good amount of posts bundled up by those specific keywords.

Feeling very enthusiastic about this project I followed others who have similar interest as mine, such people studying abroad, people setting out to share a little college humour and many travel accounts. I also decided to follow those who had no direct links to my topic, such as celebrities, news agencies and several others just to be updated on key issues that could be related to my topic later.

Using twitter to promote my own blogposts was quite fun, though  the 140 characters restriction proved to be quite impeding. It was only after a few hours of drafting several possible tweets, editing and re-editing, that a suitable tweet could be constructed. However, no retweets or responses were generated for my tweets. This could have been from the lack of hashtags at the beginning of the experience to bring people to my tweets. Yet, people kept following @Student_Sejours, with at least three followers per day, something which kept my hopes up for future interactions.

My First Tweet #Studying_Abroad

Promoting my post

Retweeting was another enjoyable part about my Twitter experience as it allowed me in some way to enter conversations on the platform even if discussions did not strike up on my own retweets. I did notice however, that when I retweeted content not directly link to my topics, this action was reciprocated by the author of the tweet.  

Retweeting a Funny Post

Retweeting an Informational Post

Overall, I would say my Twitter Experience was an interesting one though I could not generate much interaction around my posts. It allowed me to experience the exchange of information on this platform and to participate to some extent in the discussions reinforcing the participatory aspect of social networking sites, in that I could share and amend contents. Also, this experience has allowed me to be aware of others who are interested in the same topics as mine.

Spotting a similarity

I  have this habit of going around the web trying to find several people who are talking about the same topic as me, i.e. stuyding abroad. Usually I'm just trying to find new interesting topics that the authors wish to discuss or the wonderful stories they want to tell the world about.

Occasionally I come across some interesting contents that draw me in to read further and discover so many fascinating things. 

Many times those stories invoke within me a sense of familiarity (that I hope you get from my blog) and I relate with them to such a great extent. Today as I was doing my usual browsing on several blogs I came upon a post that I thought I'd share with you.

Written by Emily Daniels in Germany on the blog Temple U Abroad, the post titled The terms of friendship was very interesting and explored a deep explanation of various concepts between two cultures; the main concept here being friendships. It's always nice to come across materials that you can relate too as well as, share your own view about The author explores of the definitions of friendships across Germany and the US reminding me of my own post a while back about making friends while studying abroad.

I even thought I'd leave a little word of encouragement for the author to let her know that her post caught my attention and would definitely interest others to read as well.

My Comment on the Blog Post 

You should definitely check out this post as well as several others on the blog.

Also there are many other blogs or communities with wonderful posts that I sometimes take a peak at that I'm sure you'll enjoy as much as you enjoy Student Sejours including Her Campus and The College Girl's Guide to Study Abroad. Be sure to check them out and let me know what you think of these suggestions.

Manze, Manze, Manze and more Manze!

*Manze = Food

I won't lie and say that I was diving headfirst into the pool of dishes that there is on the island.
I was a little skeptical of food that I hadn't seen or heard of before and I kept missing my white rice and beef stew, grilled chicken/fish, fried fish and my "bouyon bred".

Ah, once I was over my attachment to the things I was comfortable with I discovered a whole other world that I know for sure I will miss when I go back home.

While studying abroad, you will come across a lot of local vendors selling things that you must try at least once. No matter how unfamiliar and sometimes 'unappetising' the food looks. Maybe they will taste bad and you'll regret ever trying it (but at least you did) or the dish will wow you to the extent that you will find yourself becoming a usual customer to a small vendor.

Here are a few of the dishes that I like and I want to share with you.

Roti

A Delicious Roti

This one I was all for trying! Technically I'd eaten a version of it before, which I also happen to make

 on occasions: chapati. 
Though I prefer to take it without the sauces (they say I'm strange that way), it is still wonderful. If you ever happen to study in Mauritius you need to try this at least once! Though I know you will want more.

 

 

Pain Kebab

This is definitely something I will miss when I go back home! Before I came to Mauritius, my friends would talk about this bread with meat and salad all the time. Yet, I tried not to get my hopes up to high though, because you know what happens when you're looking forward to something right?
Well, it really didn't matter cause now if I could eat this every day, I would! It really didn't disappoint.

 

Mine Bouille

Mine Bouille from Blond Boullette

With this one, I came a long way. It was finally curiosity coupled with a little push from a friend that got me to try it and now I love it. Yes, love it. Even crave it sometimes when I go back home.

 

 

Boulettes

Dry 'Boulettes' from Blond Bloulettes

Although we have this back home, it is not prepared in the same fashion. In Seychelles we fry the 'Boulettes' while in Mauritius they consume it in a soup. It took me two years to muster up the courage to try this one, and it is still a work in progress. Though I've found that the fish one is really good. If you happen to be in Mauritius one day and want to try it to see if you like it better than I do, stop by Blond Boulette in Quatres Bornes. There are other wonderful dishes on the menu as well!

Extra Read: Staying Healthy During your Sejours

Every few days, I take a stroll through the lifestyle sections of various magazines online, keeping up with little things happening in various areas of the world. Or they just pop up in my news feed on Facebook.

This week  I came upon an intriguing article about 10 Ways to Stay Well-Rested, Well-Fed, and Totally Sane at College that I thought I'd share with you.

It particularly caught my eye because more often than not there are times that I completely forget about my health as I sometimes have more important things to focus on. I'm sure many of you do as well.

As I read the first point I was reminded of my first holiday back home. I was watching Tinkerbell with my niece when my mum halted by the sofa on her way to the kitchen. Giving me that look she has when she's mulling something over, she said, "Don't you drink water?"

It is Important to Eat Healthy

It had become such a habit for me to be engrossed in whatever I was doing, that I'd forget to eat or drink.

I like that I came across this article around this hectic time during the semester when many of us would be tempted to neglect our health, focusing primarily on our studies. 

There are times when I would literally forget that I have to eat! You must be asking yourself, "How is that even possible?" Believe me I've asked myself that question several times before. Alas, it happens. When I did remember, I was often too busy, had lost my appetite or was just too tired to cook.

Cool Snacks to Refuel

However, I would occasionally get a little boost to get back on the health wagon, which I hope this article will be for you as, staying well-rested, fed and happy is very important when you're studying abroad.

And you can always try this list of  cool snack ideas that I'm sure you'll enjoy making and look forward to try, to give you that extra boost in a really healthy way.

Also, you can even resolve to pack your own lunch, in the right way, so that you that you stop eating the mayo/margarine filled sandwiches for lunch at school and after a while you won't forget to eat as you'll have a cool meal you prepared in your bag.

They're my Friends and Family!

The easy step of boarding the plane towards my new adventure

Getting on a plane to come to Mauritius was fairly easy, compared to the fear I was having of not making friends during my time studying abroad.

Making new friends will be one of the most beautiful and eyeopening experiences you will go through when studying abroad.
It was for me, after I got over my social awkwardnes.

The amount of new people you meet and their subcultures will all at once be baffling and magical and you will become more open to the world as this pushes you to overlook many of your differences. It's going to be a new culture, there's will be differences, appreciate them and learn about them.

I was never socially outgoing growing up. Turns out I'm the introvert who needs a little push. Starting conversions was usually one of the most difficult tasks I could ever face. Continuing one was a lot worse. I would play the words in my head for a few minutes wondering what exactly I was supposed to say in that instant, at which point it would have gotten a little bit too awkward. I remember relying on my little cousin, she's two years younger than me, to make conversations so I wouldn't have to go through such a painfully awkward situation of giving one word answers while everyone looked at me expecting to hear more. She was a natural.

And I wasn't.

But my worrying was unnecessary. The other students at my new school were truly open and welcoming; a sea of warm, eager faces. I realised that they too were starting a new journey, moving from high school to university. They also didn't know many people and were open to broadening their horizons.

New Friends

On that very first day of orientation many friendships were formed, and today we still acknowledge each others in the hallways an even, get to work together in class.

From that day forth, I've been meeting new people, even outside of school. And as time goes by, it becomes easier to interact, even if sometimes I'm confused about whether to use English, Creole or French.  Now I end up mixing the three though, but there's more English and Creole in it than French.

It's not just the fellow students that you meet that become important along this journey. Studying at uni, especially abroad has given a new perspective on the relationship between lecturers and students.

I've made the acquaintance of great lecturer's, particularly one wonderful lady who is very close to us, her students. I love how she manages to establish a relationship based on trust because she is ready to relate to us as university students, based upon her own previous experiences as a student. She particularly cares for international students, having been one herself sometime back.

I can definitely say that the people you meet on such a journey are surely going to add value to your experience. Lucky me, not only did I get to become friends with delightful people from Mauritius, I also got to meet those from my country as well. Yes, we have our own little Seychellois family. Big smile!

The Seychellois Family

I met a nice group of girls after my arrival in Mauritius who were staying in the same apartment building as I was. They were an essential part of my life as an 'international student', despite being a year ahead of me.

New addition to the family

Once I got to know them, I don't remember day when I would come home from school and not knock on the door of apartment number 5, to tell them about my school days and anything that was bothering me, literally anything!
 
There's even this little tradition among us
of handing down knowledge of where to eat, shop and visit to generations to come, which I now pass on to new members of the family.

They are my friends, my family.

However, if you're still a little unsure about making friends during your student sejours, you can always follow tips from different sites. Some work!

Why do you wanna hear my story?

Flickr image - we've all got a story

“We owe it to each other to tell stories.” - Neil Gaiman

Since I could read and write, I've always had a passion for stories. I look at the world and see different wonderful stories being and waiting to be told.

Whenever, I tell people that I'm blogging about being an international student, there facial expression changes to one of curiosity. "That's super interesting, I want to read your posts to see what it's about for you," they say as they ask me to send them the link.

There's always one reader who's going to be fascinated by your story.

So I, owe it to you to tell you my story, not just because others find it interesting but because I also believe it is and like I've said before, it's worth sharing and definitely worth reading.

People already have a their own opinions of what being an international student is about with the aid of several articles, sometimes listing the various benefits of studying abroad as well as some of the mistakes made by international students.

Hopefully, through this blog you will be able to see that there'll always be something new to discover.

You will be able to go through the wonderful and trying experiences I've gone through. There will be days that the experience of being an international will seem like a Hollywood movie and call to you and there are days when you're gonna wonder how we get through.

If you're an international student, you're probably going to laugh and maybe relate to some of the things I highlight here. Or, you might go 'What is she writing about? I've never experienced those things!' But it will still be a subject that you will know and will call to you as you also have a direct interest in the topic.

But my story in itself is interesting whether you're directly related to the topic or not. It's an adventure and it is human nature to love things that have a climax; that really interesting point that retains our attention. I am hoping my blog will be that for you. A place you turn to when you want to discover a story other than yours; when you want to indulge in the simple things that make up my life as an international student.

Settling down: Home away from Home

I arrived in Mauritius in the early August of 2013. That was the cold season and wow was it wonderful. Coming from a 'typical' tropical group of islands, I had never experienced weather lower than 28 degrees.

I walked out of the airport than late afternoon, with the cold wind blowing against my warm-weather skin and felt ecstatic to have made a safe landing, and well, very excited to see my home away from home.

The almost 2 hour drive from the airport was spent with knots in my stomach. I tried to distract myself with the scenes of sugar cane plantations and long stretches of flat-roofed houses until, we came close to the town. It was quite different from the one back home; it was filled with several story high buildings, lots of intertwined roads; that's when it dawned on me. I was no longer home. An overwhelming feeling of loneliness engulfed me as thoughts of my family back in Seychelles raced through my mind. I could phantom only one solution at that point.

I WAS GOING TO MAKE MY NEW LIVING QUARTERS A HOME.

Oh, but much to my despair that was a goal would not accomplish for a while.
Finding a place to stay in general is difficult but add to that the factor that you are in an another country with little or no acquaintances it is a lot harder. There were times when rent was too high. Times when the space was too cramped.

Two things I picked up when searching for the proper place to settle down:

• When you find the right house/apartment, the landlord is not always that nice.
• When you find that right landlord, his accommodation is not suitable for students.

My HOME away from home

I've move around 3 times in my two years of studying. Some before us, have had it worse.

That is not to say that there isn't a proper place for you to stay at when you're studying abroad. But, just a little note to self, be prepared to go through certain challenges when you've first arrived. After a while though, when you're accustomed to your new surroundings it's easier to find the "ideal" place to stay, like me!

Though it took almost a year and half, I have managed to settle down in my own cozy little space
Now, I am lodged in my small one bedroom apartment which I now call my "Home". A place which will witness the final year of my Student Sejours.

With the help of Pinterest and Cosmopolitan articles, I've customised it to be my little space. My 'home away from home'.

A story I've wanted to share for a while now

It was the first Saturday after the New Year of 2013. My friends and I met for the first time since we'd last for our a-level exams. We hadn't seen each other in while so we'd decided to have a picnic and reminisce about all the memories we'd created together. It was yet another moment being added to our repertoire of memories.
 

© My friends from back home and I taking a group photo

 There's a moment I remember quite well; we all huddled together for a group photo as we always did. "Our journey begins! Life after the a-levels!" we shouted on queue as if we'd practiced this line before coming, lifting our hands to the air.

"To whatever happens after all this! May we always cherish the memories we make from now on."

Of course we didn't know what was in store for us. We had no idea where we would be or what we would be doing, even in a few days from then.

Two weeks later, our A-level results were announced and that brought me here: To my life as an international student. The moment I was enrolled to study in Mauritius a frenzy was set in motion with little moments that I believe are worth saving, both the good and the bad.

This topic is of a personal interest to me. It's such an intense experience filled with many discoveries that I want to share with you. I've had this identity for two years now, and I can say that through my various experiences, I've made the most of it. 

There's been such a great transition during these few years.  I've made friends from Mauritius and well as many from Seychelles who were studying before me. I've been through many challenging days and euphoric ones. This journey has not been solely about broadening my textbook intelligence but making the most of this life in every way to discover myself.

There isn't a perfect handbook to detail the experience of being an international student. I'd wished for it! Others have wished for it too. I believe there never will be as, not all experiences are the same.

I wish to share with you my unique experience, in the hopes that some of you will find little things that you can relate to. Or, that you will all learn about what it is like for me as an international student.

Why The Chic Looking Girl to Represent my Blog?

My Avatar by NancyT .

Hi!

I'm going to tell you about my choice of avatar.

I chose this girl with her suitcase ready to board the plane, but also surrounded by textbooks (yes, those are textbooks) to showcase the full experience of studying abroad. This avatar reflects both my primary identity as a student who has a responsibility in her education but also as a tourist who has so much to see and enjoy during my few years studying abroad. The fact that I chose to draw it in cartoon fashion evokes the fantastical notion of being a tourist in college!

I hope you keep checking my blog for further posts. Oh, and leave comments below.