Nutrition Abroad
Kalbe17
Posts: 20 Member
So for the next few months I'm living on my own doing an unpaid internship in the middle east which is both exhilarating and terrifying. The unpaid part isn't very fun. Basically I'm on the smallest possible budget and I'm going to have to stretch my dollar (and try not to contract scurvy in the process).
The nature of this area, eating out and cooking are about on par money wise.Let me clarify that eating out is going to little falafel or shawarma stands, not like McDonald's day in and out.
Basically my weekday eating is typically:
-banana and a handful of prunes/dates (which I buy at the grocery store each week for ~3$)
-fried eggs and pita for breakfast/after the gym (from a restaurant $1)
-falafel sandwich after my internship (40¢)
-and another around dinner time (40¢)
This frees me up to spend a /little/ more money on the weekends. What should I be eating on the weekends to try and round out my diet as much as possible. This isn't even for losing weight, mainly so I'm not missing out on essential nutrients for 3 months straight.
Thank you!
The nature of this area, eating out and cooking are about on par money wise.Let me clarify that eating out is going to little falafel or shawarma stands, not like McDonald's day in and out.
Basically my weekday eating is typically:
-banana and a handful of prunes/dates (which I buy at the grocery store each week for ~3$)
-fried eggs and pita for breakfast/after the gym (from a restaurant $1)
-falafel sandwich after my internship (40¢)
-and another around dinner time (40¢)
This frees me up to spend a /little/ more money on the weekends. What should I be eating on the weekends to try and round out my diet as much as possible. This isn't even for losing weight, mainly so I'm not missing out on essential nutrients for 3 months straight.
Thank you!
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Replies
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Plenty of paid internships you could get. Middle east? Unpaid? Why put your parents through this?
Look around, plenty in the US offer free rent, food allowance, pay, and even a company car.
MIT and Harvard are in MA. Where you are from. You can get better internships.1 -
So for the next few months I'm living on my own doing an unpaid internship in the middle east which is both exhilarating and terrifying. The unpaid part isn't very fun. Basically I'm on the smallest possible budget and I'm going to have to stretch my dollar (and try not to contract scurvy in the process).
The nature of this area, eating out and cooking are about on par money wise.Let me clarify that eating out is going to little falafel or shawarma stands, not like McDonald's day in and out.
Basically my weekday eating is typically:
-banana and a handful of prunes/dates (which I buy at the grocery store each week for ~3$)
-fried eggs and pita for breakfast/after the gym (from a restaurant $1)
-falafel sandwich after my internship (40¢)
-and another around dinner time (40¢)
This frees me up to spend a /little/ more money on the weekends. What should I be eating on the weekends to try and round out my diet as much as possible. This isn't even for losing weight, mainly so I'm not missing out on essential nutrients for 3 months straight.
Thank you!
Which country in the Middle East will you be living in? I have traveled to three countries in the Middle East and was able to eat very nutritious food in all three countries for very cheap. Fresh fruit and veggies are very cheap, so you don't have to worry about scurvy. The most expensive thing will most likely be meat, chicken the cheapest, then beef and the lamb (depending on the country). The Middle East does have grocery stores that do have weekly sales, it's not another planet. Some that come to mind are: Hyper Panda and Carrefour, these places stock products from the region, European products and some western products.
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JanetYellen wrote: »Plenty of paid internships you could get. Middle east? Unpaid? Why put your parents through this?
Ugh. Ignorance. Plenty of internships in the USA are unpaid too. Get out, travel and you'll see the world isn't some big monster and the Middle East isn't all that scary. "why put your parents through this?" Seriously????
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I love Carrefour. Lots of fruit and veg.
Do the same for budget as we do in the west.
Stir fry, ground beef, chilli con carne, eggs.
I lived in dubai 5 years. Loved it! Travelled throughout to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar...
Lots of local Indian and Pakistani joints have cheaper food bbq meats, fried fish, biryani, nihari... Ask some of the local taxi guys and they will find you all the secret spots.0 -
Afghani food is also really good.0
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What should I be eating on the weekends to try and round out my diet as much as possible. This isn't even for losing weight, mainly so I'm not missing out on essential nutrients for 3 months straight.
Thank you!
Looks like your protein, carbs and healthy fats are covered. I would focus maybe on micronutrients - fruits and vegetables.0 -
I would definitely focus on eating delicious local food with an emphasis fruits/vegetables/protein. Also, if it is feasible, try to travel to as many local tourism (ie non-western tourist) spots as possible. You never know when you'll be able to go to that part of the world again.0
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I responded the way I did for a reason. This does not sound like a real internship.
There are very bad people on the internet up to no good.
Human trafficking where you arrive and they take your passport away, never to see your family again, and also organizations that want to recruit for terrorism.
Any company the would take a student from a top school would pay for everything.
Chevron, Exxon and BP will recruit from top US colleges. But they always pay.
I can't imagine an MIT student taking unpaid internship anywhere. The question is "off".
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You need to educate yourself. Everything you are saying is way off base and isn't connected to anything OP said. You are obviously a victim of fearmongering. I'm not offended though since your replies to various threads on Mfp have you giving the worst advice.
how do you know she's interning for an oil company? see ignorance. The Middle East has various industries that do not include oil. Sex trafficking happens on every country on the planet. Do you know something about OP that isn't in her post?0 -
JanetYellen wrote: »I responded the way I did for a reason. This does not sound like a real internship.
There are very bad people on the internet up to no good.
Human trafficking where you arrive and they take your passport away, never to see your family again, and also organizations that want to recruit for terrorism.
Any company the would take a student from a top school would pay for everything.
Chevron, Exxon and BP will recruit from top US colleges. But they always pay.
I can't imagine an MIT student taking unpaid internship anywhere. The question is "off".
It is absolutely untrue that all legitimate internships always pay. Please stop with this misinformation.
It's wrong and it's off-topic.0 -
Thank you to everyone who replied (in a reasonable manner). I didn't realise it would be so important to mention but I'm doing an internship with an NGO in Amman focused on the education of both refugee children and their mothers. So your "human trafficking" guess was very off. Because it's a non-profit, and because I hope to go into international education management after I graduate, I was entirely willing to accept this unpaid internship because I would be gaining the invaluable experience of working in my field, of being independent, and of gaining fluency in Arabic--which just so happens to be my college major. That being said I absolutely want nothing to do with these companies you mentioned. Janet Yellen, if you happen to know of one of these magical internships that offer deluxe all expense paid opportunities while simultaneously giving back to the community and also in an immersive environment, let me know. I'm all ears. But you seem to be extremely out of touch with the job market and its demands. The vast majority of internships do not pay because they know they don't have to. It's an unfair system but it's just the way it goes.
But considering that had absolutely /nothing/ to do with my actual post, let me get to the main topic.
Thank you everyone for your Carrefour suggestions. I asked one of my neighbors and he told me there's on the other end of town so I'm going to make a list and head over this weekend to pick up some fruit and stuff. Another question: should I invest in a daily multivitamin, and if so, does it matter which brand/what ingredients?
Also I am appreciative of the comment that says I should look into Indian and Pakistani food places I believe there is a small butcher on my street that once I muster up the courage (and the Arabic skills) I'll take a peek in at their specific products and prices.
My apartment is actually pretty out of the way of the big touristy spots which is great, because I can still get there if I need to, but also because the food isn't overpriced by where I live since it's a residential area. I think aside from Carrefour the only western chain I'll allow myself to visit is Chili's on a special occasion haha.0 -
Thank goodness. Thank you.
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JanetYellen wrote: »Any internship moving a kid to another country would pay them.
Not true. I can think of at least three friends of mine (from good schools) who did unpaid overseas internships. You're generalizing on a subject you seem to not know much about. Again, it's completely off-topic, as OP is looking for help with *food* not asking people what they think about her internship opportunity.0 -
I don't go to MIT I don't understand why you keep bringing that up. This organisation is partnered with the UN and has strong domestic ties as well as multiple past participants.
Also you say "any internship moving a kid to another country would pay them" have you ever looked at a single State Department or Foreign Service internship? They don't give you any support at all, not even help with finding housing (which my organisation did).
"Internships that do not pay tend to be local." Local doesn't mean anything. There are thousands upon thousands of upaid internships in the Washington DC area. They're all local to someone, but not me. Local is all relative.
"Not to pay them for food is not the norm" except it 100% is the norm. An internship that pays you for your own food is definitely hiding something.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »JanetYellen wrote: »Any internship moving a kid to another country would pay them.
Not true. I can think of at least three friends of mine (from good schools) who did unpaid overseas internships. You're generalizing on a subject you seem to not know much about. Again, it's completely off-topic, as OP is looking for help with *food* not asking people what they think about her internship opportunity.
Thank you so much for your support, I don't know why she is attacking me I've done nothing to her, nor have I attacked the choices she has made in her life.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »JanetYellen wrote: »Any internship moving a kid to another country would pay them.
Not true. I can think of at least three friends of mine (from good schools) who did unpaid overseas internships. You're generalizing on a subject you seem to not know much about. Again, it's completely off-topic, as OP is looking for help with *food* not asking people what they think about her internship opportunity.
Thank you so much for your support, I don't know why she is attacking me I've done nothing to her, nor have I attacked the choices she has made in her life.
It's how this particular person is, it doesn't have much to do with you.
For what it is worth, your internship sounds really cool. I haven't traveled much in that area of the world, but my brother went to the Middle East for an internship (unpaid, haha!) working with young men a few years ago. He got really sick from a sauce that he thinks -- in retrospect -- had raw egg in it. So that's something to keep in mind if you're hitting the local food scene (not to scare you, nobody else in his group got sick and he recovered quickly).0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »JanetYellen wrote: »Any internship moving a kid to another country would pay them.
Not true. I can think of at least three friends of mine (from good schools) who did unpaid overseas internships. You're generalizing on a subject you seem to not know much about. Again, it's completely off-topic, as OP is looking for help with *food* not asking people what they think about her internship opportunity.
Thank you so much for your support, I don't know why she is attacking me I've done nothing to her, nor have I attacked the choices she has made in her life.
It's how this particular person is, it doesn't have much to do with you.
For what it is worth, your internship sounds really cool. I haven't traveled much in that area of the world, but my brother went to the Middle East for an internship (unpaid, haha!) working with young men a few years ago. He got really sick from a sauce that he thinks -- in retrospect -- had raw egg in it. So that's something to keep in mind if you're hitting the local food scene (not to scare you, nobody else in his group got sick and he recovered quickly).
I'm waiting to get my sea legs.... or should I get my "sea stomach" before I start getting more adventurous with my food choices. I like to think I have a stomach of steal but I'll keep that cautionary tale in mind before I get too cocky!0 -
JanetYellen wrote: »Plenty of paid internships you could get. Middle east? Unpaid? Why put your parents through this?
Look around, plenty in the US offer free rent, food allowance, pay, and even a company car.
MIT and Harvard are in MA. Where you are from. You can get better internships.
Unless you actually have first hand experience and can help the OP with her question, why bother responding. Maybe you need to stop believing everything you read and try being a bit more open minded.
In 2002, I was forced to do an unpaid internship in the US. And I gained valuable experience. So it's something that happens, even in the US.
Anyway, OP. I'm your typically Amercian, so I don't have much advice, I just want to say that your decision to do this is amazing. You'll benefit from it SO much. Any overseas experience will absolutely enhance your life. I had a chance in college to spend 6 months overseas in Wales (which I realize is much tamer than the Middle East! LOL) and didn't take it (boyfriend didn't want me too and he said he'd dump me if I left) and it's the one thing I regret. I love Indian and Ethiopean food myself (in Columbus OH we have a very diverse culture and can find amazing ethnic food). Our Ethiopean restaurant has an amazing lentil dish. I'd just stick to safe foods for a few weeks to get your stomach used to different stuff (even fruit you'll find is "different" in different places and you may have some intestinal upset until it gets used to it).
Good luck hon! Knock them dead!
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Thank you to everyone who replied (in a reasonable manner). I didn't realise it would be so important to mention but I'm doing an internship with an NGO in Amman focused on the education of both refugee children and their mothers.
@Kalbe17 That sounds amazing
. I have a friend that ultimately wants to work for an NGO in the Middle East, she's traveled all around North Africa and been to Syria (years ago) and Jordan and is currently working on being fluent in Arabic as well. I wish you the best and am sure you will have the experience of a lifetime.
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JanetYellen wrote: »Plenty of paid internships you could get. Middle east? Unpaid? Why put your parents through this?
Look around, plenty in the US offer free rent, food allowance, pay, and even a company car.
MIT and Harvard are in MA. Where you are from. You can get better internships.
This.0
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