Episode 100 – All things Texas

Below are some scattered thoughts. The only thing in common is that I refer to Texas in each one of them. It looks like I will be visiting my home state more frequently this year which is exciting for me. Especially since one of the trips will be during the Christmas holiday season.



They like me, they really like me



This October I’m going to be attending a conference in Dallas where I will speak at one of the sessions. One of my colleagues prompted me to submit a proposal and a couple months later they accepted it and we were committed. I’m pretty excited / nervous about the presentation but I’m trying not to get too obsessive about it.



You can read about it at:

http://www.educause.edu/E06/Program/9155?PRODUCT_CODE=E06/SESS058



Thoughts of Texas



The last time I went to the US was this summer and while I was in the car driving from the airport I jotted down my first impressions. I added a few more thoughts throughout the first 24 hours of my trip. I’ve been told that whenever you go somewhere new take as many pictures as you can right away. This is because you are more likely to capture all the unique things before you become desensitized to them. It had been a year since I was in Texas so it was the closest thing that I had to culture shock in my home state. It really wasn’t a shock but more of a buzz.



First impressions after getting off the plane:

Spanish accents in the cleaning staff

Local out of towners are from Mexico not GCC (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Oman)

Lots of trucks

New car lots off the highway

Support our troops and USMC stickers

Grass and huge highways

Dixie chicks hate em and love em

People are conservative, sometimes blinded conservative

There are a lot of churches and you don't have to hide them

There are more then 5 types of SUVs

Large American drinks = super gigantic Doha drinks

Annoying shouting guys on the radio telling me to buy now and pay later.

Law of diminishing returns



I remember the first time that I was headed back to Texas. I was really excited, freakishly dangerous excited. It had been a year since I was there and I couldn’t wait. I would spend a week in Florida first but that was OK. Kara had left a few weeks before me, and I was excited to just talk to her while she was in the states. When she called from her parents house I kept on asking “Aren’t you excited to be in Texas”. It was like some long endurance race had come to an end for me.



It reminded me a lot of when I was at A&M and I left for San Antonio for a weekend after my first month of being away. The trips were always exciting but the time between them grew and I was no longer home sick after a while. The same is happening here. I’m excited about going but I’m not beside myself. I think there are a couple of reasons for this. One is Kara and I have learned to cope with living in Doha. We still live the American life through the Internet, season old TV shows, telephone calls and the good memories. So we miss Texas but we’re halfway living there already. So maybe that’s why we only halfway missing it. Living in the flat world makes life a lot easier for us.



http://www.amazon.com/World-Flat-History-Twenty-first-Century/dp/0374292795/ref=pd_ts_b_20/002-6055789-6020028?ie=UTF8&s=books



Going back to School



I just found out that I got accepted to UT-Dallas’ Global MBA program. I will still be living in Doha but I will take online courses from UTD. I expect it to take me 3 to 4 years. At that point I expect to reenter the real world wherever that might be. I picked it because I get the same degree as if I was taking classes on campus and the school is AACSB Acredited. I’m looking forward to the new challenge and really don’t have any more information about it for right now.



For us Texas Ex-pats, a little taste of home...



The Budweiser Real Men Of Genius – Mr. Way Too Proud of Texas Guy



The words are below...



Today we salute you Mr. Way Too Proud of Texas Guy.

Mr. Way Too Proud of Texas Guy!

Men from lesser states might know their state's capital, but you? You know you're state's bird, tree and even reptile.

Love that horny toad.

You display your pride with your Lone Star tattoo, "Native Texan" bumper sticker, and contempt for any state that doesn't start with "Tex" and end with "as."

That spells Texas.

Sure, there are 49 other states in the Union, but they are smaller, wussier, and the people talk funny.

Yankee wussies.

So crack open a nice cold Bud Light, oh lover of the Lone Star state.

Because all that flag waving must have made you thirsty.



For the best Internet county station that I’ve found so far


http://www.radiofreetexas.org/