Kinnaird Days
In 2010, I received my BS in Economics from the Kinnaird College for Women in Lahore, Pakistan. After graduation, I enrolled in ECLA of Bard’s Academy Year to further my studies in philosophy. I was so engaged with academics at ECLA that I never quite had the time to reconnect back with Kinnaird. Due to
Appearance vs Reality: A Quick Guide to a Young Student’s Impressions of the Great Bear City
Before Arriving I arrived to Berlin on a late February morning, along with other fellow students from Bard College supposed to spend a semester abroad at ECLA of Bard. As any good student would, I heartily researched my new home before arriving there. Speaking with many who had either previously lived or traveled there, I
Sophie’s Choice: The Agonizing Process to Find the Perfect Course
At the close of every school term, students brood over next semester’s course selections. Evermore the neurotic endeavor, the success or failure of the upcoming term hinges upon striking a careful balance of the right classes. Navigating the process tests one’s wisdom, intuition, and tenacity. This whole drama is explicitly acted out in the cafeteria,
Between Motherland and a Spiritual Home
I finished my fall semester in Berlin and went back home to Kyiv in Ukraine quite abruptly—leaving for the airport immediately after the Goethe Training Exam for the German Language A1 level, which I took in the cozy office of ECLA of Bard’s German Instructor Dirk Deichfuss on December 20th. This space served me well in
One on One
In Berlin, we are often used to finding ourselves at the openings of art shows—be it in a gallery, “white box” or other independent spaces. Whichever one it is, we always struggle to establish a personal experience with each artwork within the art space. If nothing springs out of it, we tend to engage our
A Letter from Annandale: A Letter of Goodbye
“Every ending marks a new beginning” Dear ECLA, It has been two months since the close of the fall semester. My fellow first year classmates and I departed on a brisk day in December from the Tegel International Airport bound for the States. Despite my preparation, I could not evade the initial shock of returning
Berlinale 2013 or How I moved to Potsdamer Platz for a week
More than a year ago, I mentioned in my ECLA of Bard application letter that volunteering at the Berlinale Film Festival is one of the essential reasons for my moving to Berlin. Needless to say, that all too serious and far–reaching plan almost inevitably failed because of unforeseen reasons––even though I was supported by ECLA