Author: Matthew Bowser

Matthew Bowser is a PhD Candidate at Northeastern University specializing in the British Empire, Myanmar & Southeast Asia, Global Islam, Global Great Depression, and the Indian Ocean World. He is the recipient of the Lucille Zanghi Research Fund and the Hong Liu Asian Studies Research Grant from Northeastern University, and has performed this research at the British Library in London. He will be visiting Qatar, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Portugal at the end of April 2018 for further research. He worked with Abbey Road Programs in their study abroad Western Civilization program, leading students through Athens, Rome, Florence, and Paris in the summer of 2015, and will be returning to northwestern Europe for Abbey Road this summer as well. He has taken Latin, Ancient Greek, German, and Spanish language classes and will be beginning Burmese this January.

4 Powerful Tips To Help You Overcome Culture Shock

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Anger. Of all the emotions associated with culture shock, anger was the one I expected the least. I had never experienced culture shock in any real way before, and I had traveled enough to think that I was somehow uniquely immune. Maybe I was just peculiarly cosmopolitan, open-minded, or adaptable to new experiences. Two weeks into a trip to Myanmar, it seemed like I had been correct. Of course I felt the occasional pang of loneliness or problems with communication, but overall I felt comfortable and at ease. Continue reading “4 Powerful Tips To Help You Overcome Culture Shock” →

Myanmar

5 Preparation Tips for Traveling Outside the U.S. and Europe

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As an American, I’ve always considered traveling to Europe to be “Travel-Lite.” That statement is in no way meant to imply some kind of elitist condescension about what denotes “real” travel or not. On the contrary, European countries, such as Italy, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (which is a part of Europe whether it likes it or not), are some of the most fascinating sites in the world to explore for history, culture, and general atmosphere. Go on a study abroad trip there and I might be your instructor! Continue reading “5 Preparation Tips for Traveling Outside the U.S. and Europe” →

Learning about the Humanities Abroad

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Nobody needs me to tell them that interest in the humanities is declining. A quick Google search  on “decline in humanities graduates” will turn up pages and pages of articles, op-eds, and blog posts, as exemplified here or here. These articles will tell you about how students are turning increasingly toward the “practical” college degrees in the STEM fields, and how humanities are often considered to be a waste of time in a world that needs more doctors, scientists, and engineers. Continue reading “Learning about the Humanities Abroad” →