In Photos: Modes of Transportation Around the World


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Whether it’s by moped or foot, people need to get places daily. While public transportation isn’t such a big deal here in L.A., it definitely makes up a huge component in cities like Buenos Aires and Paris where the bus, taxi and subway systems are well-developed and well-used. After all, the joy of travel lies […]

Normandy: A weekend on American sand


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This weekend, I had the opportunity to do something I haven’t done since I began my study abroad experience three months ago — I (temporarily) returned to U.S. soil. No, I didn’t hop on a plane back to the States. Instead, my entire program at USC Paris took a bus west towards the French region […]

Pascua in the Pueblo


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As a Jew, Easter for me usually means stocking up on jellybeans and peeps at the least, and being invited to dinner at my Gentile friends’ houses if I’m lucky. Spending “Pascua” (Easter) in Spain is a different story. The majority of Spain’s population is Catholic, and everyone goes on vacation the entire week leading up […]

The eternal, ephemeral and modern of Japan


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Recently, the weather in Tokyo has taken a turn for the worse. On Wednesday, there was snow slush in the streets. Thus the cherry blossoms, which are naturally short-lived, have suffered horribly and the streets are filled with brown and trampled petals. During the peak season, though, I luckily made it to Sensōji Temple, a […]

In Photos: Street food around the world


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When it comes to street food, Armando’s, Amazebowls and the Boba Truck are just a few favorites among USC students. Whether it’s dim sum, burritos or Korean BBQ, you can’t go wrong with the kitchens of the streets — both here in L.A. and the world beyond. Street food vending is a global phenomenon, from bustling night […]

Spring: Petals on a wet, black bough


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Spring is universally known as the season of new beginnings, but in Japan, I feel it even more so than I did back in the States. The white-pink petals of cherry blossoms flutter in the wind, settle to the ground and sail in the streams. Beneath them, there are people sprawled on tarps, drinking and […]

A dash to the airport for Portugal ends in rain


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Last Thursday, I was supposed to go to Lisbon. My two roommates and I had planned the getaway weeks ago, and I was beyond excited — I had been looking forward to it for weeks. The sun! The beach! The tapas! I even packed dresses and sandals. And then it all went wrong. When we […]

Finding the daily grind in Paris a little depresso


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After living in Paris for two months, I think it’s safe to say I have absolutely everything I need. Well, everything except easy access to a good cup of coffee. Don’t get me wrong — there are plenty of cafés here in Paris. In fact, you can’t walk down a single street without spotting at […]

London: Getting out of the comfort zone slump is a must


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There’s a point during study abroad when you’ll no longer feel like a tourist in your adopted city. And that’s usually around the same time your parents decide to visit you across the pond. My mom and dad made their first international trip last Saturday to visit me for a week in London. They had […]

In Photos : Architecture from a global perspective


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“Architecture, of all the arts, is the one which acts the most slowly, but the most surely, on the soul,” Ernest Dimnet, French writer, once said. This art of building becomes what we make our homes. It lives within the very designs that reflect our culture and heritage, mirrors to the eras in which they first arose. Here are a handful […]