by N.Yang
The past three weeks in San Antonio have passed so quickly. Looking back, it was definitely one of the most memorable times of my life so far. From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank everyone who made this experience possible. Thanks to the Fulbright commission, the coordinators, the professors, the interns, the other Fulbrighters, all my beloved friends, and ultimately God. I would like to express my gratitude with this video:
Hope to see y’all again!
The Hispanic group is by far the largest ethnical group in San Antonio. According to the Statistical Atlas 62,7% of the population has a Hispanic background in this city. Wherever you go you can find Mexican food: On campus, there are Taco Tuesdays and Nacho Wednesdays, tacos and nachos are served in the dining hall every day, and you fit your stomach with yummy breakfast tacos for only $1,50!
(Breakfast tacos – the pride of San Antonio.)
(Nacho Wednesday at Trinity. Nachos for free!)
One of my favorite Hispanic restaurants is called ‘Mi Tierra’. The main reason is because I love the history of this restaurant:
When I first visited a Hispanic restaurant at the Riverwalk, a waiter called Armando told us about the time when Hispanics were segregated in San Antonio a few decades ago. The ‘Browns’ didn’t have the same rights as the ‘Whites’. As Armando described, Mi Tierra was actually the first place with air conditioner for the ‘Browns’ to hang out at. You could feel his passion for his former working field while Armando was reminiscing.
‘I remember exactly how the owner threw away the keys of Mi Tierra. These words of the owner I will never forget: ‘Mi Tierra is a place for everybody. It will never be closed.’, Armando enthusiastically shared. Then he stopped. ‘There was only one day. Mi Tierra was closed for exactly four hours. On the day of the owner’s death.’, he sadly said. Then he continued describing the famous ‘mirror’ of Mi Tierra. It is a wall with portraits of important Hispanic people depicted. He explained to us that the painter worked for more than six years to complete the wall. As I could imagine all the vivid pictures in my head, I was eager to visit Mi Tierra during my stay in San Antonio. Armando told us just to ask the waiters at Mi Tierra: ‘Do you know Armando?’
(At Mi Tierra.)
Following this advice, I went to Mi Tierra with the other Fulbrighters. Funnily, the ‘Do you know Armando?’-question worked very well. I was lucky that I asked exactly the right waiter for this question. His name was Daniel and he was working at Mi Tierra for more than 20 years already. He welcomed us very warmly and took us to the ‘mirror’. There he gave us a private tour through the restaurant and eventually told us about each person’s biography, who was depicted on the wall, for more than an hour.
(The ‘mirror’.)
‘On the left side you can see Cesar Chavez. He’s the so-called Hispanic Martin Luther King. Because of him the Hispanic farmers in California finally gained Civil Rights. Oh, and on the right side you can see the sons and daughters of Mi Tierra’s owner. Just in de middle you can see our chef. He has been working here for almost 50 years.’, Daniel patiently told us. Afterwards he introduced us to the chef and an old lady whose picture is on the wall, too
(From left to right: Ali, old lady, Daniel, chef, me.)
(From left to right: Ali, Daniel, me. Do you notice the chef?)
Excitedly Daniel also told us how Bill Clinton visited Mi Tierra and signed his picture, which is exhibited at Mi Tierra. Besides him a lot of stars come to visit if they are in San Antonio. Mi Tierra has become a big attraction to famous people since it is open for 24/7.
(Bill Clinton Portrait at Mi Tierra.)
In conclusion, this restaurant is very meaningful to many Hispanics – especially for the generation before me. Nowadays, Hispanics are seen as equal and can also be acknowledged citizen. Mi Tierra was their land – especially when they didn’t have a place in American society. I like this restaurant a lot and would definitely come here again!
(At Mi Tierra: Good food, happy people.)
Two weeks have passed and I am overwhelmed with new impressions and experiences. We got to know a lot of interesting people. From one day to the next we were invited to a musical at the Mexican cultural center by its director (the tickets were worth $100!). On the other occasion the mayor of San Antonio invited us to visit the City Council. All of these people welcomed us very warmly and wherever we went, words like ‘We are glad to have you here.’ made our stay a sweeter.
(In front of the City Council Chamber.)
The longer I am here the more I realize how eye-opening this exchange program is. As I mentioned in my second blog post, I am quite upset with the growing separation between different parties in the political and social context worldwide and especially in the U.S. I was horrified when I watched a video about the Charlottesville rally (if you didn’t know about the incident, please watch this video: link). It seems like racism is reaching its peak in this country. I’d claim that this is a logical consequence of all the hate speeches and hostile movements. Due to prejudices and lack of mutual understanding the U.S. is increasingly separated in racial groups.
In those difficult times, I think it is from utmost importance to enhance communication between different parties and ethnical groups. Besides the play ‘To Be Honest‘ I appreciated the musical ‘An Evening of Art Diplomacy’ very much. The musical showed the audience in a very touching way the current situation of Syrian refugees. Two Syrian artists created a piece in which art and music developed a counterpoint to each other. The Syrian-Armenian visual artist Kevork Mourad and Syrian composer-clarinetist Kinan Azmeh successfully created images and sceneries that were unforgettable. There was much room for interpretation because the shape of the figures were not always clearly defined. I have never experienced such kind of art and this musical opened a new perspective on the Syrian refugee crisis. I would definitely recommend this musical to you!
(People who are torn apart because of the refugee crisis.//Kevork Mourad)
(A picture with the artists and the mayor of San Antonio after the musical. )
After this musical I had lots of conversation with the other Fulbright scholars about religious topics. In the last three weeks I have learned a lot about the Islam because many of the Fulbrighters are Muslims. Although I have got many Muslim friends in Germany, I just realized that I barely talked with them about their faith. The question of faith only became the center of my life after I graduated from high school. It just wasn’t an interesting topic among teenagers. On the other hand, I had the feeling that many of my peers did not reflect upon their faith too much back then. When I talked to them about the Islam, they mostly couldn’t answer my questions, which frustrated me a lot.
For me, talking to the other Fulbright scholars about their faith was very valuable. It is delighting to exchange religious views with smart people of my age and understand their religion better. Now I know the background of some Muslim rites better and also realize what kind of struggles they face in Western cultures. Especially with a hijab it is more difficult for Muslims to feel secure in times of rising racism. Wearing a hijab also causes social restrictions for many Muslims. Often times they would not go swimming because people would stare at their burkini and also at school or working places a hijab might cause difficulties.
The Diversity Institutes Program is indeed successful in its model to make exchange between young people from different backgrounds possible. No matter what ethnicity or religion we belong to, we go to churches and mosques together, we listen to one another stories, and we all want to encourage such a platform of exchange.
I am very frustrated that politicians use religions and ethnicities as a weapon to separate a nation. They should encourage the people to live in harmony with one another. Neither ethnicity nor religion should divide a country in hatred. Therefore, a platform for exchange such as the play, the musical or the Fulbright program are essential to promote mutual understanding between different groups. Mutual understanding is key for a peaceful world.
In conclusion, I’d like you to look at the following picture for a while and think about the message. Feel free to leave a comment. I am very curious about your thoughts!
(At the Storch building of the Trinity University.)
Having experienced the American culture in the last three weeks, I have noticed some cultural difference between the USA and Germany, which surprised me very much. Through American movies and songs I was of the opinion that I already knew a lot about the US but some things I think most Germans (or internationals) still wouldn’t know unless they have been here. For me, these are the seven little facts that are totally normal for Americans in their daily lives:
1. Driving License
Yesterday I just got to know that people in Texas only pay a few hundreds dollars for their driving license. This is so different to Germany! There you need to pay about 1000 to 2000 euros (in some cases even a few thousand euros).
In general, it is much easier to get the driving license in the US than in Germany. You don’t need to attend as many courses as in Germany and in some cases, you don’t even have to attend the theory classes if your parents have already taught you everything.
Another difference is that you can already start preparing for your driving license at the age of 15 1/2, while in Germany it is still debated whether they change the age to 16 as well. Furthermore, in Texas they also have the concept of ‘Accompanied Driving before 18’ but parents only need to accompany their child for half a year, which means you are allowed to drive alone even if your under 18. In contrast to that, in Germany you have to be accompanied by a more experienced person if you are not 18 years old or older.
Also, I have heard that the concept of ‘Two Years Probation Time’ does not exist in the US. While I was very cautious in the following two years after I received my driving license, my American peers did not share the worry of the higher risk of losing the license.
All in all, driving regulations are much less strict than I have experienced in Germany. I am absolutely not surprised why most of the people drive by car here.
2. Public Transportation
Being the 7th largest city of America, San Antonio only provides busses as means of public transport. The city covers an area of 1,205.4 km2 . My home city Frankfurt am Main is considered as one of the biggest cities in Germany with 248.31 km2 and in contrast to San Antonio, provides trains and trams besides busses. It doesn’t surprise me that it takes up to three hours for some people to get to their work in San Antonio if you can only take the bus or drive by yourself.
Fortunately, I got to know at the City Council that the city is planning on improving the bus system and providing more frequent rides than before. However, I think it is a long way to go until the public transportation system is as established as I know from my home city.
3. Toilets
Did you know that most American public toilet seats have a gap in front? Yes, just like a horseshoe as you know from airplane restrooms. The first time I have entered an American restroom at the airport, I thought it could only be found there. But no! The so-called U-shaped toilet seats can be found in most public restrooms.
(Public toilets in the US.)
In confusion I was asking some American peers why it is like this. However, barely anyone knew. After having done some research about this, here are some assumptions explaining the benefits of U-shaped toilets:
a) to allow women “to wipe the perineal area after using the water closet” without contacting a seat that might be unhygienic,
b) to eliminate the user’s genital contact with the seat,
c) ergonomic reasons.
On a sidenote: The U-shaped seat in public restrooms is even an official requirement of IAPMO’s Uniform Plumbing Code.
4. Air Conditioner
‘I like to keep the temperature beneath 68 degrees [Fahrenheit] so that I can cuddle in my blanket at night.’
This was a direct quote from some of my peers. Just to let you know: 68 degrees Fahrenheit equals to 20 degrees Celsius. I was already warned that Texans like to lower the temperature in their buildings. This is the case in most hot countries I have visited such as China. But here it is another level of coldness. It is SO freezing in some rooms. I am very thankful that my roommate lets me turn off the AC. Most of the Germans already got a cold because they are not used to bringing jackets into the classroom. Hopefully I won’t be the next one. But I think I slowly get used to the big temperature discrepancy between in- and outside.
5. Size of Papers
In my German bubble I always thought the DIN A4 is THE standard around the world. I mean, I was living in China for a year and there they use DIN A4, too. Actually I have never noticed a country that does not primarily use the size of DIN A4.
Well, in the US I understood that not every place uses DIN A4. Here most of the students and teachers use the ‘Letter’ size. Personally, I like this size more because it is a bit wider and shorter than DIN A4 so that the paper doesn’t fold too easily. #perspectiveofanengineer
(Left: DIN A4, Right: Letter)
6. Guns in Daily Life
Before I came to America, I already knew that Texas/America is famous for its gun policies. Growing up in Germany, I could never imagine that people occasionally carry guns with them. But here in Texas, I know quite a few people who own guns.
Everywhere you go ,you can see those signs:
(In front of the Institute of Texan Culture.)
In Germany, this sign would be interpreted as a prank but here it is a serious matter. Friends told me that in the worst case, people would just take out their gun out of the car if you provoke them.
This also reminds me of my visit at my roommate’s pastor. When we finished our small group meetings her husband just came in with a huge gun from his hunting trip. I will never forget this picture. It was just too movie-like. (He was apologizing afterwards for creating such a picture since he barely goes hunting haha.)
7. The Role of Water
There are so many different kind of soft drinks you can choose from when you go to a restaurant or supermarket. Observing the drinking habits of Americans, I have the feeling that most of them prefer sugared drinks more than water. This picture might illustrate what I mean:
(The machine for drinks at the dining hall.)
(Finally I could find the water button.)
So, these were some aspects I noticed in my daily life here in San Antonio. Were there also striking facts that you did not know before you visited the states? Feel free to complement the list!
The first four days in San Antonio have already passed and I begin to love Trinity University more and more with each day I am here. Every day was filled with a lot of insights and new impressions.
(@Trinity University, San Antonio)
When I arrived in San Antonio on Tuesday night, I was warmly welcomed by Katie, an intern of the Fulbright program, and Casey, my roommate. They picked me up with a pickup truck, which – from my perspective – was huge. However, I quickly realized that the cars here are generally much larger than in Germany.
(My large luggage next to the even larger truck.)
Back in Germany, I have already watched a lot of videos about Trinity, and I was very excited to see my dorm and all the other facilities. These introductory videos definitely didn’t promise too much. Entering my dorm for the first time, I immediately felt home. One of the reasons is because this room is much bigger and perfectly located in the center of campus. On top of that, it has a walk-in closet just like ‘a small paradise in the big one’.
(My dorm.)
However, the other and most important reason I felt so home is due to my kind-hearted roommate Casey. She decorated her room very lovingly and prepared a lot of space for me so that I feel comfortable. We share many common interests and viewpoints – whether it’s working out at 6.30am in the morning, reading the Bible together before we go to bed or sticking post-its throughout the room.
(I found this next to the mirror. It is often the little things that sweeten one’s life.)
The next morning I met the other Fulbrighters and Dr Noor. With the TigerCard and a campus map in my pocket, the discovery tour began!
(My TigerCard and the Trinity campus map.)
The campus is very impressive and feels like a vacation resort. The temperature is perfect, the sun is shining all the time, there are swimming pools, gyms, tennis fields etc. in walking distance, and you have access to an All-You-Can-Eat buffet for the whole day. Incredibly, I am still very motivated to study in such an environment because there are so many beautiful spots where it’s enjoyable to study. Even the library is super comfortable with it’s sofas and balconies. I wished my libraries in Germany would offer outdoor seats as well – especially because I spent the whole summer time in the library this year (fate of an engineering student). I think it is very important to offer students a comfortable study environment since the library was my second home during the exam period. All the students and teachers seem to like their study/work place a lot, too.
(Library at Trinity with balcony in the background.)
All the buildings are well designed. I especially like the Center for the Sciences and Innovation because the classrooms are equipped with glass walls so that the rooms are very bright and nice. I believe such architectural features enhance my study experience in my Environmental Studies class.
(Center for the Sciences and Innovation.)
Content-wise the class is highly interesting. We learned about the biodiversity in Texas and the unique extinction rate happening around the world. During the last few days I have already noticed lots of different types of flora and fauna here. In these days, I have already seen a stunk, a lizard and unfamiliar birds on campus. Also, the flora is very diverse here with its palms and beautiful flowers. I am quite worried about the high extinction rate of these unique beings since the rate is 100-1000 times higher than in any other time period of time. Therefore, I appreciate Peter Raven’s answers to why we should worry about this development very much, which was shown to us at the end of class:
‘The world has only so much to offer. What we’re talking about is what kind of a world we want our children and grandchildren to live in. It’s either a diverse, nourishing, healthy, prosperous, productive, interesting, beautiful place to live, or it’s a dull, homogenous, uninteresting place to live. That’s the most basic answer. It’s not that we have any choice about attaining sustainability.’
I also enjoy the other classes very much. In my philosophy class we currently read the book ‘The World as Will and Representation’ by Schopenhauer. I really like his writings for which I am looking forward to read and discuss this book. For my German class, on the other hand, I do not need to do that much readings and the atmosphere is very chilled there. It reminds me a lot of my Japanese class back in school, which I loved. We spent most of the time discussing and exchanging thoughts. That way there is much room to discuss some political and social topics and get to know the American perspective a bit more. Last but not least, ‘The New Testament’ class is also very interesting. After reading the Bible many times, it gives me fresh wind to analyze Bible passages from the academic viewpoint just like I did in high school.
(The Northrup building, where most of my classes take place.)
A highlight on campus is definitely the Mabee dining hall. The variety of different dishes is huge here! At breakfast you can choose between freshly made omelettes, self-made waffles, pancakes, porridge and much more. Every morning you can find many different fruits such as pineapples, bananas, strawberries, pines, watermelons, blueberries etc. After working out in the gym in the morning, a self-mixed smoothie is definitely the best way to start the day!
(Ingredients for the omelette…
…and tada! You have your omelette!)
(The sweets stations.)
(The cereals station.)
(The fruit station.)
(And among these: Happy Nadja.)
This is not the end of the story: At lunch time there are stations for pizzas, pastas, burgers, wraps, Asian wok, summer rolls, … . I am more than happy here.
Outside campus we went for a Riverwalk on our first day of class. It was beautiful to see downtown San Antonio from the perspective on water. The people there are very kind and open to tell stories about Hispanics since that place is primarily Hispanic. I did not know before that San Antonio used to be divided in ‘White’ and ‘Brown’ people for which the Hispanics were not supposed to learn Spanish. Nowadays the city is very diverse and the Hispanic features make it special.
(Riverwalk. View from the boat.)
(Me and the captain.)
On the next day we watched the play ‘To Be Honest’, which was directed by Dr Noor, too. It took place in the McNay museum. The play shows a lot of different voices on Islam in light of the 2016 presidential election. It was based on 172 interviews from a research project and reflected many perspectives on the topic. After the play we could join discussion tables and share our thoughts while listening to other viewpoints as well. On my table a very diverse group was brought together: One older, American couple, a few students from Trinity University, a Mexican actor of the play, and two of the Fulbrighters. Each of us could associate with at least one of the opinions shared at stage and talked about their experiences with the current political situation.
(My discussion table after the play.)
Since I am in Texas, I was talking to a couple of students about political topics like the election and the growing division between parties. On Facebook e.g. I have seen pictures of families or friends drawing apart from one another due to different political views. I could not believe this but here I actually got to people who felt uncomfortable sharing their political viewpoints and kept their opinion silent – especially if it is rather conservative. I really regret this development in which hatred and lack of understanding is dominating the society. In my view, the problem is and was especially that everybody insists on his opinion without trying to listen to the other one.
Therefore, I can absolutely recommend everyone to watch this play. It really pushes you to actively listen instead of doggedly insisting on your own opinion. The Mexican actor actually toId us that his uncle, who usually is very stubborn and slightly racist, admitted to think about his viewpoint a bit more after the play. I also found the perspective of the old couple very interesting because I usually only talk to young people about such topics. The old couple was telling us that they have never experienced such a development in politics and society. Therefore, it is so important to be open-minded and LISTEN to other’s reasons for their opinion because each racist movements usually evolves from bad personal experiences. I would like to quote the old lady: ‘This play allowed me to finally listen with my heart.’
I really hope that each of us is eager to listen with our hearts to other’s opinion so that mutual understanding can be built. Hatred is no solution. It’s all about building bridges.
(An insider between Casey and me.)
This is my very first blog post for my stay in the US this fall. Soon I will participate in an exchange program with the Trinity University in San Antonio. Thanks to the Fulbright commission for this opportunity! I will definitely embrace every moment there.
Just to give you a short personal introduction: My name is Nadja and I am studying chemical engineering at Technical University Munich. I love two things: Laughing and dancing. That is why I’m currently spending most of my time with my college dance crew ‘Fusian’, my family in Munich. While we dance and study together, we just have so much fun. I really enjoy my life here a lot. The third and most important thing I love here is the time with God. Recently, I am just overflowing with the love and joy He gives and I would love to share this feeling in the States, too.
(This was me on the Empire State Building. // January 2016. )
Participating in the Fulbright program is a big gift in my life and I am super excited to be in San Antonio soon. I have just looked through the course selection yesterday. There are so many interesting options.
My top 3 courses are Environmental Studies, Religion, and Improvisation. Since I have participated in the ‘Energy Tour 2.0’ of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes I am eager to learn more about environmental issues for which such a interdisciplinary course is a perfect addition to my rather scientific/technical studies. Additionally, I am much interested in learning more about the New Testament in these three weeks. During my social gap year in China I was reading the Bible a lot and I concluded that there is so much to learn about this fascinating book. Last but not least, Improvisation is a course I am very curious about because I have never done similar things so far. Maybe this course will open a whole new interest field for me.
Apart from these three courses I would love to attend more. Mass Media, Global Politics, Anthropology, Philosophy….They are all SO interesting. Sadly, we are only allowed to select three courses…
Outside the class I am very looking forward to all the activities and events I have heard about. Where shall I begin? Nacho and Tacco days, pool parties, TigerFEST, Fiesta Texas, the day trip to Austin…everything sounds amazing! I can’t wait to be in the States soon! Only two more weeks to go!
(The heavenly view of New York City. Can’t wait to be in America again.)
Fulbright Diary 