University of Michigan International Center

For those of you who are wondering where you can buy furniture and household items for a cheap price, this blog is for you.  The stores listed below have a good selection and/or have good prices.  Please remember that this is not a comprehensive list. Arborland Shopping Center 3600 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor, MI ‎ Bus route 4A, 4B, 7, and 22 ·          Marshalls o    Great place to buy household items, plates, cups, etc. o    Not a great place to buy furniture because it is expensive ·          Bed Bath & Beyond o    Can buy almost everything you need for your room/apartment: pillows, humidifier, fan, plates, drying rack, etc. o    It can be a bit pricey Carpenter Plaza Shopping Center Bus route 5C and 22 ·          TJ Maxx o    Very similar to Marshalls since they are owned by...

Coming from a typical tropical climate with temperatures averaging 33 degrees Celsius and immediately entering the frosting cold of Ann Arbor, acclimatizing was a bit of a challenge. Nevertheless, I survived. Michigan and for that matter Ann Arbor is blessed with four seasons Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall/ Autumn, even though one chap said its basically cold for about 8 months. Winter is basically winter, freezing cold temperatures coupled with snow. Walking from my apartment to my classroom was more of a punishment until I understood the concept of ‘layering’.This involves wearing the right fabric of clothing in layers- an underlayer, a first insulating layer, a second insulating layer and finally an outer layer. The insulation layer primarily keeps you warm by trapping warm air next to your body. Also you must layer up such that when you perspire, the layering can quickly transfer moisture to the outermost layer where it can evaporate. So it’s basically up to you to jug...

  Very important to learning about a country’s culture, is exposure to its artistic traditions. The University of Michigan affords these opportunities through the work of the University of Michigan Music Society (UMS).   Through UMS, you will not only have opportunities to experience elements of American arts but also, you will be exposed to various international artistes that the University of Michigan brings to the campus each year.   This, in addition to the fact that UM hosts many international students/scholars, is confirmation of the University’s welcoming of diversity! At the start of the winter semester, I attended an excellent Martin Luther King Junior Day concert titled, From Cass Corridor to the World: A Tribute to Detroit’s Musical Golden Age . This show brought together a range of musical styles from gospel, to Motown, rap, to Jazz and featured the sons and daughters of Detroit across the age spectrum.   The renditions were soulful and spirited. The...

Hey everyone, welcome to my blog! This week, we are going to talk about squirrels! Yes, squirrels living on the University of Michigan Diag J For those who have never seen a squirrel in your life, here are some facts about this quirky creature. Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, and woodchucks. A squirrel has soft fur, four flexible paws, and a fluffy tail. Most squirrels live on the trees. They are widely distributed across North America, especially in the urban area where they can find a variety of foods. Unlike those living in the woods where their foods mainly come from seeds, nuts, and fruits, squirrels living on campus have the privilege of sampling exotic foods like left-over Papa John’s pizza found in the trash can. At U-M, squirrel feeding has a long and glorious history, as shown by a photograph of the Diag taken in 1913 (see below). As a resul...

For those of you who are wondering where you can buy clothes for a cheap price, this blog is for you.  The stores listed below have a good selection and/or have good prices.  Please remember that this is not a comprehensive list. Arborland Shopping Center Bus route 4A, 4B, 7, and 22 ·          Marshalls o    Lot of clothes and shoes at discounted prices o    Lots of styles to choose from o    You can find good prices on designer clothes ·          DSW o    A great place to buy shoes o    Lot of styles to choose from o    If you become a member, they will send you coupons ·          Nordstorm Rack o    Clothes and shoes at a discounted price o    Lots of styles to choose from ·          Old Navy o  ...

  After being in Ann Arbor for three years, I have learned that there are certain things you have to experience here, unique to this city and to our campus. These include places that will take your breath away, and activities that might be once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Below, and in no particular order, are a list of 10 things to see and activities to do on campus.    Wave Field - Located on North Campus next to the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Building, the Wave Field is a fascinating piece of earthwork (also known as landscape art). Designed by Maya Lin, who is best known for her work on the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, this piece is a prominent work of art. However, the Wave Field has more than just artistic value. The rolling hills provide a perfect place to have a picnic, initiate a snowball fight or star gaze on a clear night.    Football Game - You cannot be a UM student without going to at least one football game at the Big House. Whether you e...

After spending 4 years on campus, I have realized that it can be hard for some international students who prefer to have a vegetarian diet to have a meal that gives them all the necessary nutrients that one requires daily to stay fit and healthy. Not only that, I have seen a lot of vegetarian students on campus complain about how they are tired of the having the same food everyday. With this blog I wish to help all my fellow vegetarian friends by providing you with a variety of options to make life a bit easier for you. Even though in this part of the world few people prefer a vegetarian diet, this town has a lot of options for vegetarians. If you have purchased a meal plan for dining halls in the dorms, that is the best option for you guys. For those who haven’t, don’t worry I shall talk about other options that provide a lot of variety and good taste. All the dorms on campus have a meal plan designed in such a way that there is a lot of variety for vegans and ve...