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10 Things Hoyas Should Be Thankful For

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, HOYAS!

Can you believe it? Midterms are (finally) over and Christmas is literally WEEKS away!

Before I get too far ahead and offend all those people who “love” Thanksgiving, let’s jump right into what this article is actually about. Today, I’ve decided to give you the 10 things you should be most thankful for as a Hoya — and yes, I know it can be pretty difficult to figure it out sometimes. Here they are:

  1. That one time a semester when you think a rat is about to jump out of the bush and it turns out to be a bunny                                                        
  2. All your tuition money is being spent on a “green space” that will not be finished until after we all graduate.
  3. The elevator in Regents that is ALWAYS there for those of us who have given up on taking the stairs up to Leavey
  4. When the workers at Einstein’s learn your name — it’s a great feeling, speaking from personal experience here.       
  5. Pasta week at Launch — it’s 100 percent the best week, don’t try to deny it.      
  6. When Jack’s Crew lets you get less than 3 feet away from Jack to take a picture
  7. The Georgetown meme page
  8. The smell on the second floor of the ICC is almost completely gone.
  9. Well, you go to Georgetown. I know this is kind of soft, but it’s true.
  10. MAC MCCLUNG…have you seen him dunk??

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Have a happy Thanksgiving, Hoyas. See you soon!

Gif/photo sources: giphy.com, countryliving.com

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Thanksgiving Pro-Tips

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It’s about that time again….FOOODD!!!!

…and, you know, spending time with family and giving thanks, I guess. With all the anticipation that comes with Thanksgiving dinner, you may forget the other things you have to deal with on this holiday. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of pro-tips that’ll help you through this Thanksgiving.

1. Simultaneously make yourself two plates of food so your lazy future self doesn’t have to get up for seconds.

2. Continually whisper shady things about the desserts so that no one feels compelled to eat them except you. Let your family members know that “these desserts look super expired” or “I licked the entire pumpkin pie before this”.

3. Wear sweatpants, festive pajamas, or a loose-fitting outfit to dinner. Comfy-casual is essential…something that says, “I’m dressing formally to respect my family, but I also want to be comfortable when I gain 10 pounds”.

4. To avoid college questions from extended family members, simply stare at them as if you heard nothing. If they persist, promptly crawl under the table and assume the fetal position. It’ll throw them off for sure!

5. Bring a flask and make a Thanksgiving drinking game for you and your favorite sibling. Not only will it make the food better, but you can drown out the humdrum details of your little cousin’s 4th grade classes, too!

6. Dress your dog up like a turkey so you can laugh and distract yourself when that crazy extended family member starts one of their offensive rants again.

7. If you feel threatened by the appetites of others, steal a large piece of turkey and keep it in your pocket for later.

8. If a family member asks you your position on politics, fear not. Just divert their attention by hurling the bowl of mashed potatoes at the wall and reporting that you had seen a spider.

9. Finally, when asked to help cook the meal, gracefully explain that you have broken both your hands and are physically unable to contribute. Take your lie to the max by wrapping your hands in gauze and telling everyone you “wrote too many essays at school” and that your professors have “physically and mentally exhausted you”. Works every time!

Happy Turkey Day Hoyas!

Images: www.giphy.com, www.salon.com

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The 4E Guide To Friendsgiving

Banner - FriendsThanksgiving is coming up, which means that every foodie’s favorite holiday is almost here! In the great (slightly reworded) saying of Regina George “Thanksgiving is the one day of the year when every foodie can eat anything they want and nobody can judge them for it.” So, if Thanksgiving is the best day of the year, Friendsgiving is the pregame. We at 4E are going to tell you how to have the best one yet:

  1. Wear elastic pants.

Friendsgiving is practice for Thanksgiving. Eat as much as you want and practice not getting a food coma! Bonus points if they’re Thanksgiving themed ones!

2. Have EVERYONE bring something.

If you’ve been the dorm mom this semester (if you don’t think there’s a dorm mom it’s definitely you), you’ve probably been cooking quite frequently. Take a break and make everyone else bring the food! Even if it’s the worst food you’ve ever had, at least it’s practice for when Aunt Sally makes the worst pumpkin pie you’ve ever had!

3. Ask the tough questions.

Friendsgiving is great practice for explaining everything that you never wanted your relatives to know! Everything is fair game! Why not practice escaping with your friends?

4. Find something to be thankful for.

A heartfelt thank you that makes everyone at your table shed tears is the best kind of brownie points for mom and dad. Jack, John Carroll, that C on your IR midterm, just pick something beautiful!

Have a happy Friendsgiving and an even better Thanksgiving next week. However your Thanksgiving is, remember to make it classy!

Photos/Gifs: giphy.com, partycity.com

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Goodbye Study Abroad

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If you’ve been abroad this semester, by now you have probably bought your last budget airline ticket, bargained for your last “international piece of clothing” and filled up on whatever native food is your fancy (baklava, I will miss you).

You know what time it is: the end of study abroad. Some have been waiting for this moment since September, others wished it would never come. Nonetheless, it’s here. So it’s time to accept it. Soon you will be surrounded by your old Georgetown friends, bundled in your preppy winter clothes and doing the best you can to avoid the hellish Lau.

For some, this can be a very difficult change to deal with. Wine and beer will not be served regularly with meals, everything will be in English and you will have actual work to do.

In order to make the transition a little easier, here are some expert tips:

1. Plan study abroad reunions. You have been living with these people for 4 months now. At least in my program, we are basically a family (a weird, twisted family). Appoint someone as the “social coordinator” and have some amazing theme parties. It will be like studying abroad all over again, for like 4 hours. Extra points if you end the night back in the country you studied abroad in.

2. Make an American playlist. Get yourself hyped for the land of the free and the home of unlimited data. Make sure to add all your “pro-USA” songs. Because nothing screams America like Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA”.

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3. Say goodbye to all the sights. This is probably the last time you will see these classic landmarks for a while so make sure to take your “goodbye pictures”. My first photo stop? The Starbucks on Ataturk street. So many memories, I will never find another place like it.

4. Speak only in the native language. Whether you have become proficient in the language this semester or just struggled along, use these last couple of days to prove your abilities, or lack thereof. When worst comes to worst, just say a bunch of words really fast in some kind of accent. The natives won’t know the difference.

5. Write a final blog post. I truly applaud those of you who have kept up with blogging over the last 4 months. Make sure to write an emotional, heart wrenching final reflection. Personally I wrote mine during history class and teared up a little.

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Remember, despite your emotions right now towards your semester and study abroad location, you will at some point treasure this experience. Maybe you found your calling, maybe the love of your life or maybe you just found yourself. But that is none of my business; unless you want to gossip, then I’m ALL ears.

Signing off from Alanya, Turkey. See you in the place where the drinking age is 21 and the language barrier doesn’t exist.

Gifs: https://stream1.gifsoup.com/view/37874/party-in-the-usa-o.gif; https://www.headoverfeels.com/2014/01/23/a-gif-appreciation-of-troy-barnes/

Photo: https://www.brainscape.com/blog/2014/11/think-study-abroad-will-make-you-fluent/

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4-eign E: All About that Mosque

Foreign E

Merhaba, Georgetown guys and gals. (Note: merhaba is Turkish for “hello”.)

Some of you might remember my last post about my study abroad adventures (if not, study up). Basically, I have been living an unreal dream that I hopefully won’t wake up from soon!

After spending my summer in Quito, Ecuador (a.k.a. lo mejor verano), I am now spending my fall semester in Alanya, Turkey, at the McGhee Center Villa.

But, like, what is Alanya?

Glad you asked. Alanya is, as my study abroad advisor said, the “night club capitol of the Turkish Riviera.” (Yes that is a thing, I have lived it.) Located on the Mediterranean Sea, the weather here is never above 95 degrees and never below 70. Jealousy is a thing, so don’t worry if you’re feeling it.

The Georgetown villa here is probably the best thing in the world. We get lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday (thanks to our fabulous chef) and our apartment building (the lojman) has the best view in the city. It is the best Georgetown housing option, in my non-professional opinion.

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Basically, being here is like enjoying a beach vacation, with a few classes mixed in.

Turkey is a pretty wacky country. Although it is a secular country, the majority of the population is Muslim. So that means us here at the villa get to hear the “call to prayer” 5 times of day (the best one is at 5:30 a.m.).

Other than the untimely alarms, Turkish society is pretty normal. In Alanya, there are TWO Starbucks (and yes, they do serve iced coffee), local shops, a beach and a million and a half tourists.

IMG_8587I went real basic white girl, just for this pic. You’re welcome.

One of the biggest struggles is definitely the HUGE HILL that we climb up everyday. Only Georgetown would choose an apartment building with a 12-minute walk up and then a villa with another 10-minute walk up. But the view is a sight for sore eyes (and sore legs).

Alanya is a tourism center through and through. The majority of the tourists come from northern Europe, so when Turks see Americans they get really excited. #celebstatus

For some reason, the town of Alanya thinks that pirate ships are the epitome of the tourist experience. So everyday, about ten pirate ships go out on a day-long “booze cruise”. You can hear the music from our classroom. The best/worst part of the day is when they play Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”, but actually why would you play that song ON A BOAT???

The Turkish language is a grand old time. In my opinion, it is a mix of Spanish, French, Arabic and something else I can’t put my finger on. Our teacher is hysterical and talks in a way too proper English accent. So pluses all around. Right now I am speaking at a three-year-old level so go Coco go.

But seriously, even with everything going on 600 km east of me, nothing seems to be different here. It’s  a surreal experience … you wouldn’t understand.

My next adventure? My ten-day European birthday tour. Catch me in Munich or Barcelona. The game of hide-and-seek just got a little bit bigger.

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Wanna check out more of my adventures? Talk Turkish to Me.

Photos: Courtney Klein/The Hoya; gif

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Pre-Thanksgiving Snacks: Food to Get You Stuffed Before the Holiday

Thanksgiving MealOnly a few days remain til we can all either go home or escape the (beloved yet sleep deprived) Hilltop. A time to finally relax, sleep and get happy. For many, this break will include a delicious Thanksgiving meal. However, 4E firmly believes that the tastes of warm pumpkin pie, crispy turkey and fresh cranberry sauce should not be limited to one day of the year. So, for those of you who wish to start your Thanksgiving meal a little earlier, here are our suggestions on where and how to find Thanksgiving-esque food before you leave for break (and maybe even after!):

5fa97eac1. Leo’s Though this requires the most creative thinking at times, it also gives you a reason to use some of those meal swipes! Leo’s has a variety of turkey dishes, ranging from BBQ turkey sandwiches to simple turkey burgers. If you really want to create an authentic meal, grab a plate, remove the turkey from a sandwich, get some green beans, add on some mashed potatoes and finally include some dried cranberries from the waffle station (if available). Voila! You are now having Thanksgiving at Leo’s – dreams really do come true.

2. DC Wisey’s Chantilly Panini For seven dollars, you too can enjoy this smoked turkey and brie cheese croissant panini with a light cranberry mayo sauce. Yum!

3. Einstein Bros. Cranberry Turkey Panini In addition to a variety of new cinnamon creations, Einstein’s has also begun serving a turkey sandwich of its own. Starting off with ciabatta bread (which is always an amazing beginning to anything), this sandwich consists of turkey, cranberry sauce, spinach, bacon and your choice of swiss or mozzarella cheese. Also, if you want to “Thanksgiving-ify” your morning bagel, try out their cranberry bagel!

4. Saxbys’ Pumpkin Drinks Both the pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin pie chai have become personal favorites this fall. Plus, these warm drinks can help ease the much colder walk to classes, while still reminding you that home – and of course Thanksgiving – are fast approaching.

5. Jetties’ Nobadeer Sandwich and Orange Street Salad Similar to the Chantilly Panini, the Nobadeer includes roasted turkey, cranberry sauce and mayonnaise, but also adds stuffing to the mix – all on sourdough bread. If salads are your liking, try the orange street salad, which consists of roasted turkey and butternut squash on top of mixed greens with apples, dried cranberries and sesame seeds, finished off with a ginger vinaigrette.

Enjoy these turkey- and cranberry-filled meals Hoyas, and get yourselves ready for the main Thanksgiving meal to come in just a few days!

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Photos: tumblr, Eating Equipment