What happens when you throw 24 unfamiliar people in a hotel on a Mediterranean island? My answer before my trip to Cyprus would be completely different than my answer now. If I had not decided to participate in this program, I would have missed out on meeting some of the most amazing people I have…
Tag: Andreas Forand
BSMTC: The Reason You Get Your Goods
The Bernard Schulte Shipmanagement Training Center (BSMTC), is a training facility for crew members of BSM. It is often overlooked how rigorous of a job being a crew member is. Visiting BSMTC will prove the fact that crew members have one of the most important jobs in the entire supply chain. The Simulation The impressive…
Vassiliko Cement: It Takes More Than You Think
What is Vassiliko? Vassiliko Cement is the leading cement manufacturer in Cyprus. The company uses state-of-the-art equipment and processes to create an efficient system that not only supports Cyprus, but also neighboring countries. First Impression Not many people know the details of a cement company, including myself. Because of this, I was not very eager…
Pharmaceutical Phun
Both Medochemie and Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) exceeded my expectations. Medochemie is a generic prescription drug manufacturer. They import necessary materials for drugs, manufacture them, and transport them to their customers, usually hospitals or distribution companies such as Advil. CSM is a company that, as the name suggests, manages ships, also known as vessels. There is…
Lectures in the Summer?
Introduction Today we did not do much exploring but learned a few interesting topics. Our day started with three 40-minute lectures. These included blockchain, forecasting, and data analysis. After this, we spend a few hours learning about the University of Nicosia pharmaceutical lab and their studies. Lecture 1: Blockchain Before we arrived at Cyprus, one…
Paphos: City of Love, and Tombs, and Mosaics
The Romans once used Paphos as their capital city, and it is no surprise. Rich with roman architecture and history, Paphos deserves a visit from anybody in Cyprus. The most captivating parts of Paphos is Aphrodites Rock, The Tombs of the Kings, and the house of Dionysos. All three of these sites are ones to…
Limassol: Castle Crashers and Beach Masters
Kolossi village provided me with an interested yet laid back day. There was not much reflection to do, but still a lot of information to take in. Kolossi Castle Until learning about the history of the Kolossi Castle, it is not the most mind-blowing site to see. Sure, it is beautiful to look at, but…
Limassol: The Cargo Capital
Meeting with DP World, P&O, and Eurogate gave me a complete walkthrough of all of the parts of Cyprian ports. Thus far, learning from these three companies has been the most applicable information gained from this trip. DP World DP World nearly monopolized global port operation and logistics. They only have one large competitor, and…
The Successful Gamble of Wargaming
Today was the first day where a company touched me more than the culture. The wealth of the video game company called Wargaming has a fascinating story. A few software engineers took the biggest gamble of their life which resulted in them starting one of the richest companies in Cyprus, and legendary success of the…
Larnaca: A City of Gold and Silver
Visiting the city of Larnaca was the most touching cultural aspect of the trip thus far. We began by visiting the church of Lazarus. Before this trip, I was not very religious, but eager to learn more about Greek Orthodox, the religion I was born into. The story of Lazarus dates back to when he…
Famagusta: Venetian or Ottoman?
Famagusta is arguably the city of Cyprus with the most recent history. In the 1970’s, this popular tourist attraction sold out more than 50 hotels on the beach. Being the closest port to Turkey, it was the best place for an invasion. No more than a week later, the city become fully abandoned. Walking through…
Day 2: Kalimera, Kalispera, and Kalihnita!
Before coming to Cyprus, I understood that there was previous conflict between the Cyprian Turks and Cyprian Greeks. I assumed that this conflict was due to Religion but when attending Dr. Solomou’s lecture, I learned that this was not the case. Instead, the conflict was purely political. This interested me. Also, in school, I learned…
Attack of the Cats!
One of the main reasons students choose to study abroad is the cultural aspect. After only a few hours in Cyprus, the culture change is vivid. Unlike the United States, Cyprus feels like a tighter community. The country is oftentimes unfairly deemed a “Greek Island”, even though it has its own story to write. Before…
Pitt Stop at Deutschland
Saturday did not feel real. Flying over the Atlantic Ocean almost feels like time traveling. Our group left at 12 PM on Saturday and arrived at 5 PM on Sunday, which is over 24 hours time with only 18 hours of travel. A few observations stuck out to me during this generally uneventful day, one…
Half-Greek student meets a Half-Greek Country
Hello and welcome to the first installment of a Half-Greek student’s journey to the Half-Greek country of Cyprus. Sadly, my other nationality is not Turkish, unlike Cyprus, but the narrative will do. As an ambivalent first-year student at the Swanson School of Engineering of The University of Pittsburgh, I have chosen to study Industrial Engineering….