A formalized account of how eating Danisa cookies – a classic Danish butter cookie brand has fueled my study abroad goal and self-improvement journey in general.

They shouldn’t be chewy like American drop cookies nor playful like Chinese fortune cookies, rather, should be gulped down in one bite and the pulverating shall be left to an unemployed mouth muscle. Butterly perfumed, geometrically assorted, and golden attired bits of goodness that made their way into my mouth due to a fat-dominant construction. I am talking about Danisa cookies, which my software engineer aunt, my professor uncle, my eager nephew, and I dearly enjoy.

Indeed, our family believes they are the solution to our hustle work culture. Beyond that, they have been an integral part of my narrative and conceptualization of the world: the beginning of conversations, the cornerstone of relationships, and the last bites before I am off for new adventures. They embody a piece of the foreign Danish culture, but somehow seep into my life so intimately. I was curious whether this connection was a deliberate product of its people or a delectable invitation for my curious heart into their innovative culture. 

Before declaring a pathway in Digital and Visual Storytelling, I found in Danish products many fascinating stories. When Netflix’s Abstract: The Art of Design premiered in 2017, I encountered Bijarke Ingels – a Copenhagen-based architect who aims to transform the city with beautiful and affordable metro-apartments. His vision then translates into a cooperative effort with like-minded Danish designers to build an open exhibition space using magnified LEGO blocks – a classic made-in-Denmark toy acclaimed with great educational value to people of all ages. My fascination for these stories soon exceeds being just a listener: I aspire to tell them from my unique experience, via learning about the histo-cultural context that shape the philosophy of Danish designers and applying such principles into my own craft: as a great storyteller and a user-centered product designer. 

The opportunity to study abroad in this interesting country is the thing that excites me the most for the coming year. Living in the heart of Denmark – Copenhagen, I am excited to discover this fascinating country, beyond my career interest, by a variety of means: language, cuisine, transports, lifestyle, … With that, I am confident to pack many exciting stories of Denmark on my way back to share their fascinating culture that transcends a box of cookies. 

Thanks y’all ^^

Auditions. Rehearsals. Costume fittings. Tech. Dress. Shows. Post-Mortems. As someone fully invested in the Theatre/Dance department at the College of Wooster, there’s is a lot of business that I must attend to. For example, in order to have a performative I.S. I have to complete four practicums. The ones available to the department are production, acting, and stage managing. As someone who has acted since I got her, I already had that fulfilled to the tee. And being employed by the costume shop, I had that field covered quickly. But stage managing? The last time I worked on a crew was my first year of high school, where I spent the majority of my time missing my cues because I was too focused on fantasizing about acting on the stage. Kinda dramatic, I know.

But now, I am assistant stage manager for the Spring Dance Concert, where I sweep and mop the dance floor, collect props, and listen to further instructions on my headset. What I don’t do? Eat. That’s right, this week’s tech and dress rehearsals (otherwise known as ‘Hell Week’ for you non-thespians) start at 5 pm and end at only God-knows when. So no, there’s not much time to grab a snack, let alone eat a scrumptious full-course meal at our esteemed Lowry. Luckily, my lack of appetite due to being sick (just with the woo flu, calm down) aided in my endeavor. And of course, we have the Kittredge fourth meal service, which led me to eat a waffle for dinner at 10 pm this past Friday. So, while I will have no time to eat dinner and will have to cancel all of my dinner plans this week, luckily I can rely on Kittredge dining hall and a little prayer to properly fuel my body 🙂

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Today, we’re travelling down South to the Western Cape of South Africa, more precisely, Cape Town! My brother currently lives here, and so I would like to dedicate my inspiration for this idea to him. I recently found out that Table Mountain is not the only thing Cape Town is famous for.

During Easter there is a specifically South African dish made. This dish is pickled fish. I personally have never eaten it, but it’s no wonder this would be a banger, considering Cape Town’s proximity to and renowned love for freshwater and saltwater fish alike. The way this dish is prepared differs to other kinds of pickled fish in that it is not only specifically an Easter dish, but it also involves frying portions of line-fish seasoned with salt and pepper – local varieties such as snoek, yellowtail, kingklip and kabeljou (cob) are favored – and cooking a mixture of onions and spices, before adding vinegar and sugar.

The best part of this dish is that it has transcended the confines of merely existing in a religious context. People all over South Africa enjoy this dish on special occasions that are not only Easter. It’s a dish that, prepared in this way, makes it unique to South Africa. And from what I have heard, it tastes perfect… an aromatic masterpiece! So, if you are a person who enjoys eating fish, I would strongly recommend you try this pickled fish dish if ever you visit the Western Cape.

Living in Wooster, students who are not initially from here have to adapt to a different dietary meal plan. I come from Chicago, IL, which has all sorts of food options everywhere you look. From the ordinary fast food industries to family-owned restaurants. It does not matter what you are looking to eat. You would always find some restaurant that would satisfy your palette. However, arriving at Wooster limited the variety of options available for me to pick. So what exactly is available to eat when living on the college of Wooster campus?

The primary source of nutrition comes from Lowry Dining Center. Although Lowry does provide a somewhat diverse serving of food, it dramatically lacks what other colleges offer. Lawry offers fast food meals like burgers to the all-day egg section. Lawry also includes international foods that alternate throughout the week and a section specifically for soup. Also, Lowry offers all kinds of cereal and an area dedicated to making bagels or sandwiches. If Lowry does not have what you need, the POP’s meals always exist. This meal option includes a variety of sandwiches or salads accompanied by a drink and a side option like apples, yogurt, or chips. Other areas around the Wooster campus also provided drinks like coffee for the students to enjoy.

The second source of nutrition comes from the fast-food restaurants available around the area. Students studying and living at the college of Wooster have a small number of options for outside food selection. It includes pizza locations like Dominos, Pizza Hut, and Gionino’s Pizza. Furthermore, fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, etc., are also available. With all these food options, students are allowed to change their meal plans whenever they choose. Still, the college of Wooster does not fill in the gap of food one enjoy back in their home. Cultural foods are something that I clearly cannot obtain. Although the restaurant “El Campesino” includes the cultural foods I love, like tacos, carne asada, and frijoles, it still does not have that authentic taste one can taste back home. Overall, even though Wooster lacks food options inside the school and out, the food available is enough to survive the year.