2011-12 Student Photo Essays

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My name is Adam and I am from San Diego. I grew up in a bilingual household with English being my first language and Arabic as my second. I love travelling, skateboarding, climbing, and most all ocean sports. I plan on working for the Surfrider Foundation after I graduate, and I have hopes that travelling off the beaten path and meeting a diverse group of people will help me achieve that.

Studying abroad in South Africa has made me appreciate the little things in life, and is a wonderful cultural opportunity. The experience here is very rewarding on both a personal and academic level.

This is the Port Elizabeth Boardwalk. It is very close to campus and has a lot of restaurants, a movie theater, a casino, and many other activities. Many people spend their weekend nights here having dinner, playing games, or just hanging out.

These little tent shops are everywhere in Port Elizabeth (PE), and Africa in general. Perfect place to find random gifts for family & friends, or things you may find useful that you can't find at conventional stores.

This is the street I lived on. My accommodation is to the right, and all the houses have walls built up for safety reasons. It is a safe community and clean as you can see.

This is the main hang out area of NMMU South Campus. That tall building is called "The Main Building" and can be seen throughout most of town, so you can use that as a marker and never get lost.

This is inside the building. Most of the interior of South Campus looks this way, and students are found studying in the halls, and staff are always around in case you get lost.

That's Mona Lisa; she is in charge of all the American international students. She is extremely helpful with academic questions and anything else. You can trust and go to her for anything.

That's Greenacres Mall, your one stop shop for everything you need. All international students go there for bedding or anything else you may need when you first arrive. Easy access by car, bus, or taxi. 15 minutes from campus.

MTN is a cell phone provider very close to campus. They provide pay-as-you-go cell phone plans so do not worry about contracts. Very helpful and reliable South African carrier.

That is the Pick & Pay center close to the beach, accommodation and campus. Everyone comes here for groceries, Internet café, and school supplies! You will be very accustomed to this center.

These are the 'mini taxis'. They are everywhere throughout Africa and run from about 7am to 9pm, and are R8, which is about $1. Safe, convenient, can get you to the mall or campus, and fun!

Do not forget to seize the day and take in every moment here. You can balance academics with travel very easily, and it's an extremely rewarding experience to travel knowing you are getting good grades at the same time, so enjoy!