Pre-departure:
Preparing for Brazil was simple; a tourist visa is granted to South African citizens on arrival for 90 days and though I came armed with documents such as my proof of address and letter of acceptance into the course, the border officials asked for none of it. Even my up to date yellow fever card was ignored – though it is a legal requirement to enter the country so do get it if you are heading there.
Pre-departure:
I am a student studying ancient languages with a focus on Biblical Hebrew and translation, so when my advisor told me about the Nida School of Translation Studies at the San Pellegrino University Foundation in Italy, I was immediately interested. The Nida Institute is the academic arm of the American Bible Society and known for its scholarship in the field of Bible translation in the pioneering tradition of Eugene Nida, perhaps the single most significant figure in the field of translation in the past half century, and a close associate of the South African Greek scholar J. P. Louw. In addition to the prospect of learning about translation from a premier institution specializing in the field, the location being at an Italian university was also very appealing.
Pre-Departure:
While preparing for the summer school at Ohio State University (OSU), I had a mixture of excitement and anticipation for the forthcoming trip. I was looking forward to meeting and interacting with renowned authors and established researchers in Mathematical Biosciences. I was also looking forward to meeting postgraduate students from other institutions with similar research interests and above all, learning new skills in Mathematical modelling of infectious disease spread. I was excited at the prospects of acquiring more knowledge for my future research projects. I had gotten to know about the Mathematical Biosciences Institute from friends who have been there before. With several people in my research field speaking highly of the institute and the quality of research it offers, I couldn’t wait to have an experience of my own.