A Year in the Fulbright Life: Talha’s Story
For the next year, Fulbright MENA will be showcasing a handful of students as they study in the United States with their new series, A Year in the Fulbright Life. Each month, spotlighted students will share an update as they continue on their Fulbright journey.
August 2018
I had thought it would be easier to pack, but that suitcase stayed open for two days to make sure I wouldn’t forget anything. I ended up taking only one suitcase, half of it was full of Moroccan sweets, spices, teapot, tagine, and other local goods to prevent homesickness.
After all, everything else I could buy in the United States. I can still recall the mixed feeling at that point between saying farewell and the excitement of boarding the plane for my Fulbright experience.
They were flying for 23 hours from India to visit their son who works in Detroit. It made me feel better about my 7 hour flight. They were absolutely excited for me to embark in this new journey which reminded them of when their son’s experience.
The students from Wayne State University proudly showed us around and told us about the history and architecture of their university. It was incredible to see so many beautifully built university facilities.
The experience at the gateway was just wonderful, full of enriching sessions, talks and amazing encounters with these talented people.
I went to visit the Texas capitol in Austin, such a great emblematic edifice with history that dates back to 1885. I found it amazing that legislative sessions are open to the public; a great way to prove a point as far as transparency and democracy are concerned.
September 2018
For Moroccan dinner night, I took my Austin friends out to a nice Moroccan restaurant. They had helped me with housing issues when I first arrived in Austin.
I had a lovely night celebrating the birthday of a friend. The birthday boy is reaching for a slice from the huge Austin pizza (in the photo below), which he says is the best pizza in town.
On a Saturday night, I randomly bumped into this Moroccan food truck in south Austin while I was walking to meet a friend nearby. As I decided to check it out, the owners generously invited me to join their yummy tagine and bastila dinner. What are the odds?!
October 2018
Earlier this month, I met a guy named Brandon through a program sponsored by the international office at the University of Texas at Austincalled the Friendship Program that matches international students with local American families to promote the cultural exchange.
For Halloween, he invited me to a house party with his friends, where I also handed sweets to kids that knocked on the door trick or treating.
For Halloween, I dressed up as the Family Butcher. The cleavers are made of plastic!
December 2018
I attended a Spanish speaking meetup for people wanting to improve and practice their Spanish. I started learning Spanish 3 years ago, and this has been a great way for me to keep it going while making friends from different walks of life. After attending a couple of times, it was clear to me that diverse communities do get along very well here.
I also spent time with other Fulbrighters near the Colorado River (pictured: Inci from Turkey on the left, and Fernando from Panama on the right)
February 2019
I recently attended a French-speaking meetup. Clearly, I want to make sure to keep practicing the languages I know. As a Moroccan, I grew up using French as a second language, so it’s always interesting to meet up with new people while speaking the language. French is spoken only by a small group of people in my U.S. community. I noticed most Americans that want to learn the language have traveled to French-speaking countries or have been involved with French culture before.
I had Turkish breakfast with UT Fulbrighters. The breakfast included me, Oscar from Mexico, Ericka and her friend also from Mexico, Inci and her boyfriend from Turkey, and Jose Alejandro and Fernando from Panama. It is always great to gather with Fulbrighters and share our experiences; we have truly developed great friendships since our move here.
I went out with my classmates for a Moroccan dinner. It was great to introduce them to Moroccan food and tell them about our culture. Greg and Aubrey on the right couldn’t believe how generous the Couscous dish was and had enough servings for 3 days :) I feel it was also one of these beautiful moments that embodies the cultural exchange Fulbright strives to foster.
March 2019
I had dinner at a French restaurant for a well anticipated Mardi Grascelebration with the French speaking community in Austin.
Sandra, a Fulbrighter from Colombia, came to visit me in Austin from West Lafayette, Indiana during the South by Southwest festival. Fellow Fulbrighters Alona and Ruslan (from Ukraine and Russia respectively) joined and we all enjoyed a nice sunny afternoon in Downtown Austin.
During the Atlanta Fulbright Enrichment Seminar I had the chance to join a local family, along with other Fulbrighters from the seminar, for a meal. Sussi hosted us for the evening and was absolutely generous and kind. She prepared delicious food and we had a lovely conversation. Such experiences are what truly embody cultural exchange. Our cultural differences were no hindrance to enjoying an evening full of warm conversations and laughs.
Back in Austin, the International Office at the University of Texas (UT) organized the annual Sponsored Student Service boat cruise reception. I was lucky enough to attend and the Fulbright group gathered to take this picture.
I also took a field trip to New Braunfels, Texas with UT to see the Edwards Aquiferrecharge zone and the endangered species. This trip was part of the groundwater resource evaluation class I took this spring to learn about groundwater management in Texas.
April 2019
This month I had a meal with a local family in Austin. I was invited again by Rhoda and John for a lamb on the grill evening with other students from UT (Pedro — 2nd from the right — is a Fulbrighter from Chile). I had a beautiful time with this lovely couple who enjoys traveling and learning about the diverse world we live in.
Talha is a first-year Fulbright student from Morocco. He is studying Environmental and Water Resources Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.
Follow updates from Talha and other Fulbright students on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Check back here every month for more updates on the blog and Medium Series to see what Talha does this year!
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