Monday, November 25, 2013

A Visit to the Famous Texas State Fair

Even though it was cloudy and eventually rained, it didn't stop anyone from enjoying the rides and fried foods at the Texas State Fair. The Sponsored and Special Programs Center at University of North Texas organized a trip to the State Fair on what was supposed to be a lovely sunny day. But in Texas, the weather can go from summer to winter from one day to another.

Naturally, most of the students and families that went were part of one exchange program or another. Everyone was excited and talked about what they were going to do there. The American students with us were excited to see Big Tex (a large cowboy statue), which and been burnt a few years back, and was rebuilt this year. We couldn't wait to get there.




When we arrived, we didn’t know what to do first since there was so much to see and do. I really wanted to see the Mustangs, my friend wanted to eat, and another friend wanted to go on the Ferris wheel. We all ended up eating first. I highly recommend the chocolate-covered strawberry waffle balls (yes, they are exactly that: chocolate-covered strawberry waffle balls!). All of my Texan friends had told me that I will not experience Texas right until I had fried pickles, Snickers, or Oreos. Let me tell you, ANYTHING that can be fried WILL be fried in Texas--because they can. They have had an ongoing competition for the most creative things to fry, which has included fried Thanksgiving dinner, fried beer, fried butter, fried bubblegum, fried Nutella; the list is endless. You name it, they will fry it. I decided to stick with fried Oreos and it was the best decision I'd made since I got here.

We eventually got to the rides, which were fun like everywhere else. We wondered around listening to people talk about the State Fair and how amazing it was. We took pictures with Big Tex. We danced under the rain because we decided to accept it instead of hide from it. We listened to a country band play a song about how other people want to go to heaven, but they just want to come to Texas (Texan pride all the way!). I got to see the Ford Mustang car collection and talk to some owners. It made my day.



Overall, it was a very memorable day to say the least. Advice: please try fried Oreos. If you're worried about your diet, work out an extra half hour. But the pain will be worth it, trust me. I want to be able to say "Welcome to Texas!" just like my friends did.


Sandra Ziadeh is a Lebanese Fulbright grantee pursuing an M.Ed. in Counseling at University of North Texas.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

My Three Month Adventure: Travels in the USA!


After completing my 2013 spring semester and packing, I embarked on a three month adventure. First, I started my trip with a visit to Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. In these two cities nestled away in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, I came across some of the most friendly and hospitable people I had ever met. From there, I went eastward to visit Denver, Colorado, Kansas City, and Saint Louis, Missouri. In Kansas City, I experienced hurricane force winds of up to100 mph while I was on my way to watch a WWE event. Luckily, I made it out of Kansas City unharmed! Being a big fan of the English Premier League, I enjoyed watching a soccer game between Chelsea and Manchester City at the Saint Louis Cardinal's stadium in Missouri. In Independence, Missouri, not too far from Saint Louis, I visited the American Harry Truman Presidential Library. This historical landmark was of particular interest to me because I enjoy American history and all of the politics associated with it. Continuing with my adventures in the American Mid-West, I then visited Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. For some of you who do not know, one of the biggest malls in the world is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Although I spent nearly an entire day wondering around this mall, I still did not see every single store in it. I then traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and got to visit the Harley Davidson Museum.



In Chicago, Illinois, I then met up with my parents. Put simply, Chicago is the most beautiful city I have ever visited. With my parents, I toured many parts of Chicago including the house that President Obama lived in while he was a senator for Illinois. We also visited DePaul University, where I did my MBA (in Bahrain). We then traveled to Boston, Massachusetts where we got to visit many attractions including the JFK Presidential Library. After that, my parents and I traveled by train to New York City. In the Big Apple (New York City), we did all of the tourist stuff including the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. Adding to the list, we also visited Ground Zero, Wall Street, and Central Park. During our five day stay in New York City, we also took a one day trip to Niagara Falls. Continuing on America's East Coast, my parents and I traveled by train from New York City to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The City of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia) was fun because my parents got to catch up on some shopping they needed to complete before heading back home to Bahrain. From Philadelphia, we then traveled to Washington, D.C. Being a political enthusiast, Washington, D.C. struck a special chord with me because I got to visit the White House, Congress and most importantly the AMIDEAST office where I met Hayley and Heather (my Fulbright team at AMIDEAST) for the first time. Not too far from Washington D.C., my family and I also visited the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.


Although my parents left after Washington, D.C., I continued my trip and made my way to Baltimore, Maryland. I then went to Charlotte, North Carolina where I went white water rafting for the first time! I also took a day trip to South Carolina. I then visited Atlanta, Georgia where I went to the headquarters for World of Coca-Cola and CNN. Afterwards, I visited Nashville, Louisville, Lexington and Cincinnati where I got to tour their Country Music Museum and Underground Railroad Museum. I was slightly disappointed when I visited the Underground Railroad Museum because I thought it would be about transportation which is my interest. Instead, the museum detailed the harsh reality of slavery in America before their civil war. Nevertheless, the museum offered an incredible educational experience. I then visited Indianapolis, Indiana where I met with my friend. I then visited Detroit and Dearborn and got to tour the Ford Museum and celebrate the 4th of July. Making my way eastward again, I then visited Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Buffalo, New York and Niagara Falls for a second time. Lastly, I visited my friend in Burlington, Vermont where we toured different parts of the state. Marking the end of my tour of America, I then traveled to Boston where I stayed for a night before traveling back home to Bahrain for Ramadhan.



Ahmed Al Saleh is a Bahraini Fulbright grantee pursing an MS in City and Metropolitan Planning at University of Utah.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

A Great Achievement!


“All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights.” July 4. 1776

Since I was a teenager, I was always impressed by the above-mentioned opening statement of the United States Declaration of Independence. However, as a Middle Easterner, I was always perplexed whether this statement is applicable to all human beings or not. Growing up in a couple of Middle Eastern countries, where favoritism and nepotism are everywhere, and where people ARE NOT equal at all, I always questioned whether “all men” were indeed “equal.” Witnessing privileged people getting all of the opportunities with minimum effort, meanwhile, disadvantaged people are desperate to achieve their objectives regardless of the efforts that they may make, I was always confident that it is a matter of chance, not at all a matter of effort, and that only the lucky privileged people will have their dreams realized.

When I first started the program of Social & Applied Economics, I realized that it was a writing-intensive one. Papers are submitted on a weekly basis, the amount of extra reading is humongous, and for each course we have two textbooks and another four books assigned as extra readings. With my Middle Eastern “baggage”, I did not dream, even in my wildest dreams, to outperform the English native speakers. I was fully aware that no matter how hard I tried, I was not going to outperform any of them.

Despite being the only international student in the program, among all the students I was selected by the faculty members to be awarded the Economics Department’s 2013 Outstanding Student award. When I received the email to inform me that it was going to be awarded to me, I was positive that I could not be the one, and that it must have been sent to me by mistake, but it turned out that I am the one, and that my effort was appreciated. Obviously, determination is eventually awarded, and “all men” could be “equal “. For me, it is no longer a matter of chance at all; it is indeed a matter of effort. It is indeed that I need to “be the change” that I “want to see in the world”(Mahatma Ghandi).


Shlair Al-Zanganee is an Iraqi Fulbright grantee pursuing her M.S. in Social and Applied Economics at Wright State University.