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Gabrielle
Gabrielle is a 26-year-old senior at Humboldt State University in Northern California, where she says, "they'll have to drag me kicking and screaming to the podium and cut off my funding to get me to graduate--what can I say? I'm a lifer." She lives and attends school in Arcata, California, but is spending the fall semester in India and then Fiji on a School for International Training (SIT) program.
Before leaving, she told us, "It is hard to pick just one aspect of my coming semester that makes me most excited - but, in this case, I would have to say it is the fact that I will be able to live and study in India - something that I have dreamed about doing since I was a kid."
We had a short question and answer session with Gabrielle to find out a little more about her and her personality. Here is what we learned:
What made you want to study abroad?
I had many reasons for wanting to study abroad - but the main one is that I love to travel and, in the past several years, I've felt the call of the open road (so to speak) more and more strongly. As I am committed to finishing my college career, I looked for options which would allow me to combine these two interests.
Why did you choose this destination/program?
I traveled through India in Dec-Jan of 2004-2005. I loved the country and people so much that I wanted to go back and experience life there, not as a tourist, but on its own terms. I want to actually live within the culture and experience it from the inside. By learning these things, I cannot only understand another culture but I can better understand my own.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Travel! I am also very active on the Internet and blog semi-daily as well as admin work on several websites. I'm fairly active and outdoorsy - I love yoga, tai chi, hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, swimming, and anything having to do with the ocean. I love to read, write stories and poems, and all kinds of art and dance. In school, I am currently working on two combined majors. My main interest is to tackle modern social problems on a global level and therefore my first degree will combine the disciplines of International Studies: Globalization, Religious Studies, and Philosophy. My second major relates to the two problems I've picked for myself to work on at this time: environmental ethics and women's studies. In addition, a philosophy component will be added on which the two majors will hinge.
What are your favorite books and magazines?
I don't really read magazines - but I am a huge bibliophile. I have a weakness for 1940s science fiction like Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Heinlein. I also really get into all sorts of textbooks/non-fiction from the social sciences, historical fiction, and other socially/environmentally conscious literature. Some of my favorite books include: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, The Story of B by Daniel Quinn, Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, The Dune series by Frank Herbert, The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, and many many (many!) others.
What type of music do you listen to, and what are you favorite TV shows and movies?
I have rather eclectic taste and hence listen to everything from World Music to Hip Hop. Right now I am really enjoying Indian pop music, Bollywood remixes and Punjabi rap. However, I also have a penchant for strong female singers and I love classic jazz like Billie Holiday and Cab Calloway.
I also love all types of movies and some television. I enjoy foreign moves, particularly from India or Japan. I enjoy movies that make me think or pose new and interesting possibilities or ideas. There are simply too many favorites here to list.
Though I try to restrain myself from watching too much TV, I do enjoy all kinds of educational shows, especially historical documentaries. I also enjoy crime shows like Law and Order, CSI, The Closer. Etc. Finally, I love science fiction in all forms - some of my favorite shows are The X-files, the 4400, Eureka and etc.
If you could have dinner with one famous person - alive or dead, historical or celebrity - who would it be and why?
If I could have dinner with one famous person, it would be Gandhi. As Einstein said: "Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." It would be my honor to meet and share a meal with "such a one as this." I would like to ask him, "What can I do to help?" Yes. I am aware that Gandhi is famous for NOT eating--to eat with him would mean that "the maddness has stopped."
Finally, she had one final thing she wanted us to know about her:
I'm smart and fun. I have a great sense of humor and I'm not afraid to say exactly what's on my mind. I am endlessly creative--I seem to do everything "my own way," and I don't just march to a different drummer - I have a whole other orchestra! Unique, quirky, and eccentric are three words that describe me - but kind, honest, and loyal are three more. In all things, especially life, I strive to be the best that I can be. This isn't a competitive thing, however, the only one I compete with is myself.
If her semester interests you, check out her blog now.
