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From left to right; Myself, Chris Coward, Director of the Center for Internet Studies at the University of Washington who was my Fullbright Sponsor/ Contact, and two Associates at the Centre. |
My Fulbright experience has been a source of inspiration, enrichment and education. Coming to America as I have for several years, whether for short business trips or vacations with my family, one does not get a full appreciation of the true portrayal of the life and breath of what is essentially American. In comparison to truly understanding a language, one has to be completely immersed in the society to truly experience the flavor of its psyche. My three months in the state of Washington provided me with such an experience.
From my first real customer service encounter at Continental Airlines with their courtesy phone to assist affected passengers who were delayed, I was to find in the coming days, weeks and months ahead, many more insightful examples of what it meant to be living in a developed country, arguably the richest nation on earth, with its manifest diversity of peoples and cultures, yet retaining it’s uniqueness of all things American.
As I hinted above, my Fulbright stay was a source of inspiration, especially when I considered the access to new ideas and healthy discussions with colleagues. As my length of time grew at the university, I was exposed more and more to the accessibility and availability of resources (especially electronic, and resources unavailable in my country), and the ready assistance of the librarians who provided great service as I undertook my research. Coming from a university that has one main library and a few specialized mini-libraries, and being suddenly thrust into an environment such as the University of Washington that has the equivalent of 12 main libraries, all networked. It were as if, allegorically speaking, the University of Washington represented the center of the known digital universe and I was privileged to access its storehouse of records!
But even more importantly, was the rapport with faculty, staff and fellows of different cultures whom I found stimulating. I thoroughly relished their willingness to share their knowledge and experiences with me. Indeed, colleagues at the law school were more than willing to assist me in my research and allow me to audit one or two of their classes. Through them, I was also extended the privilege to visit their law offices at the U.S. Department of Justice in downtown Seattle. Needless to say, I was able to submit an article to the forum for the World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS) held in November 2005, and which will be published later in 2006. I have also returned with many ideas for the development of new themes and exploration of new concepts at my faculty for the introduction of new courses, programs, and workshops. Hopefully, this will bear fruit in the very near future.
My three-month stay in Seattle was also a source of education, punctuated as it were, by my travels on the public bus system. These sojourns to any area of Washington State were adventures that I looked forward to. Whether going to the university district, or to downtown Seattle or to the various counties, I witnessed all manner of persons and incidents while traveling via the bus system.
For instance, when I had to catch the train (never thought I would be saying that as my country disbanded the train system decades ago) to Vancouver, Canada, I observed many commuters during those early hours before dawn, and still sleepy-eyed, making their way to work at various industries and businesses. Clearly, by their manner, many of them were the unsung heroes who made sure these organizations were cleaned and maintained properly.
At other times, just after sunrise and at rush hour, I experienced many locals, as well as educated commuters, and the elderly (yes, elderly) persons hustling to the office. I was later to learn that many retired persons still undertook jobs for a few days a week for a variety of intrinsic reasons. Some to keep active, some to mentor, and some to actually supplement their retirement income which unfortunately was not sufficient. Yet, whether young or old, rich or poor, commuter or resident, they all exhibited the epitome of customer service and the willingness to work and to be productive.
Then of course, during the evenings, I witnessed the future of America. These were the teenagers who not only carried America’s future in their school bags, but were also wearing iPods and headsets, talking on the latest cell phones, and sporting various jewelry by way of body piercing. This, for me, was beyond disbelief as I struggled to understand the rationale for such wanton disfigurement while simultaneously experiencing both awe and dismay. Awe in the sense that this trend was on a level far above its various shades in my country, and dismay in that, like the older folks I spoke to, we were all wondering whether this represented a lost generation or the manifestations of a rampant ‘So what?’ subculture. Yet, I did not have to look far to realize that hope lay around the corner. Indeed, there were many nights when I took the late, late bus and observed the myriad of university students, so tired after conscientiously studying in the libraries that they literally dozed off once they sat down in the bus. Yet, they always arose in time to ring the bell for their stop, mostly at the university district. I salute many of these young adults whom I befriended and who have the fortitude to remain late (some for the so-called “weeder classes” even after being told they will not make it to second year!) and yet, after less than four or five hours sleep, get up at 4 a.m. to work part-time at Starbucks to earn extra money for college. Truly, I salute them. This represents one example of the determination and ambition and the perseverance of the individual who has decided that, “I can do it”. After all, isn’t America the land of opportunity, where anyone can rise beyond their limitations by due diligence?
My personal concern lay in the feelings of loneliness that I sometimes experienced when I returned to my apartment after a very cold day, and there were many very cold days. With summer having just officially finished a week after my arrival, it was left to autumn to make its presence known and cast its brisk yet cold face upon the state and ultimately to bring the first winter chill of many. Fortunately, the marvels of made in America technology, most notably broadband access, came to the rescue and I was able to access MSN Messenger and Skype which made that loneliness bearable. Indeed, I remained in constant contact with my family and pen friends in Canada and Trinidad. Yet, be that as it may, I sometimes wonder whether if loneliness is really a serious American disease as stated by some researchers, given that so many young people are so eager for independence and are willing, or sometimes urged, to leave the nest and strike out on their own to prove themselves. It would seem that there is something to be said for the extended family concept that still exist in some countries.
Of course, no bus trip at night time would be complete without its shady characters who would suspiciously glance inside the bus before entering, weary-looking veterans, the off-and-on homeless person moving from one place to a shelter, and even the disabled who are very much considered part of human society. As for the latter, I constantly marveled at the manner in which the society has designed its infrastructure to assist them. Yet, for all the facets of life in this panoramic view of American culture via travels by bus, it also proved to be enriching as all of these persons showed me how diverse the society is. Yet, even as the citizens move busily about tending to their cares of the day, they still take the time to say a perfunctory 'thank you" to the bus driver who has provided a service. Quite civil, I must note, as this speaks volumes to me as I inadvertently and unconsciously compare these incidents to situations in my country.
My stay in Seattle was also enriched by the lighter times so to speak, when my colleagues invited me out with them, most memorable of which was my first ever Thanksgiving dinner at the home of my faculty associate and director of the center where I was attached, Chris Coward. Other adventures included visits to many of Seattle’s famous landscapes, such as hot Mt. St. Helens, cold Stevens Pass—where I learned to ski, the Space Needle and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, to name a few. I also availed myself of other tours such as Underground City Tour, and the university’s wine and brewery tour. (Funny how spirits and university students go hand in hand.) I also partook in pizza limes with my karate group, and participated in sporting activities at the university sports complex—definitely an amazing place.
Of course, I must mention the various public discussions and talks that I attended at the university that dealt with current issues and debates. No topic was considered off-limits in this inquiring environment (as it should be in any academic environment). Also of merit was my joining Toastmasters International and attending a few Toastmasters meetings of its University of Washington group.
Yet, my period of living in Seattle also confirmed what I had previously learned, in that I was actually immersed in a sea of plastic! Even as I made contact with various businesses and organizations, I was subjected to a barrage of plastic cards: bank cards, QFC Grocery, Subway, Starbucks, bookshops, bus transit, airline and even university cards. As I sit in my office back home in Trinidad writing my report, I can count on no more than receiving 20 plastic cards, most of which I had garnered within the first three or four weeks on arrival! In fact, most businesses prefer plastic to cash and I found that it was all too easy for people to use credit for almost everything!
Indeed, I was also seduced somewhat by the consumerism that existed and the lengths to which marketers would go to sell a product. Fortunately, the only high-price, seductive item that I purchased was a portable pen scanner to assist me in scanning the voluminous material from the libraries and from newspapers and magazines. Needless to say, it created a stir among faculty, a few of whom remarked that they never knew scanners came that small and promised themselves to buy one forthwith! Truly, a remarkable technology tool and exceedingly useful when you’re a researcher and on the go!
In closing, while I would admit there are very serious issues of contention in the United States, I am of the view that there is still much that developing Western countries can positively learn and appreciate from the United States. I consider myself quite privileged to have had the opportunity to not only conduct my research and gain exposure in an atmosphere of true academia, but also to personally make many new friends and to experience the richness of U.S. culture and what is interpreted as American society. Of this rare opportunity, I humbly thanked the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program.
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