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Enrichment Foreign Fulbright Fulbright-Millennial Trains Project

“Arrival in the Big Apple”

September 4, 2014

After arriving at Penn Station in NYC on the evening of Friday, August 15, 2014, after a cross-country journey from Portland, Oregon, Fulbright-MTP Participants spent the weekend in New York City.

From left to right, Alyas Widita, Ammar Mohammed, Silvia Tijo, Jennifer Connor (IIE Staff), Anser Shaukat and Katie Nikolaeva, upon their arrival at Penn Station in NYC at the end of the MTP journey. Photo by Tyler Metcalfe, National Geographic Traveler.

In the words of Alyas Widita, a Fulbright Foreign Student from Indonesia:

The day was bright, the weather was nice — a beautiful day in New York greeted the Millennial Trains Project participants and staff the day after our 10-day train journey across the country arrived in New York City. It seemed like the momentum was just so perfect: MTP’s journey concluded with, what felt like, the most beautiful day in the year. Shimmering facades of New York’s skyscrapers as we approached the city further articulated the brightness and beauty of the day.

Ammar, fellow Fulbrighter from Yemen, suggested we visit the Statue of Liberty. At first, I was hesitant because I always thought that the statue was too touristy and we might have to spend half of our day in line waiting for the ferry. However, given the momentum I felt in having just completed a cross-country journey, complemented with the beauty of the day, I nodded to Ammar’s offer. Later, Lindsay Patross, MTP Community Director, and Silvia Tijo, fellow Fubrighter from Colombia, also said yes.

We went to the Statue by subway from Columbus Circle. The MTA subway line 1 conveniently connects the 59th St – Columbus Circle station to South Ferry station, the nearest station to the ferry terminal to the Statue of Liberty. As expected, by the time we approached the ferry departure points, the line was crowded with many people who had a similar thought as us: seize the beauty of the day and visit New York City’s landmark. However; as I had friends with me, waiting in line was not an issue. Plus, the location of the ferry terminal is surrounded with a gorgeous park, making the view of buildings behind clusters of trees and the atmosphere of the location a bit similar to my favorite place in the city, Bryant Park, adjacent to New York Public Library.

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Enrichment Foreign Fulbright Fulbright-Millennial Trains Project

“A Day in Transit”

August 14, 2014

The Green Power house uses algae and sunlight to transform waste into energy at the Algae Aqua-Culture Technologies in Portland, Oregon.

In the words of Silvia Tijo, a Fulbright Foreign Student from Colombia:

Our visit to Whitefish, Montana ended on Sunday. I had the opportunity to visit Algae Aqua-Culture Technologies as part of my Fulbright-Millennial Trains Project (MTP). They have a Green Power house, which transforms waste into energy with the help of sunlight and algae. The Green Power house is a unique project that I was able to personally experience thanks to the stop made there by the MTP train and to Robin Kelson, the Vice President of Corporate Development at Algea Aqua-Culture Technologies, for the hospitality and tour provided on such a short notice. Although the visit to Whitefish was short, it was productive, and it prepared us for a long trip ending at the Twin Cities (St. Paul / Minneapolis).

Sunday started early with a small group of researchers waking up to enjoy the sunrise over the landscape of Montana. The journey from Whitefish, Montana to Saint-Paul, Minnesota started at 6:30 a.m. when the locomotive pulled the three cabins of the MTP: the Silver Splendor, the Pacific Sands, and the Salisbury Beach. Shortly after departing on this part of the trip, it became an excuse to learn about the beauty of America’s landscape and the diversity of its people.

From left to right; Silvia Tijo, Ayla Boyle, Sarah Al-Khayyaal, and Kay-Anne Reed, participants of the MTP.

The Silver Splendor was full of life all Sunday since the entire day we spent in transit. This cabin is where we spend most of our time, and the space morphs as the day progresses: first, as a dining hall; then, a place to hang out; later, office space; and it even became a disco as the train chugged through one of the longest tunnels in the United States.

After breakfast, Julie Ershadi, the Sous chef Simone, and myself chatted while we cracked pistachos needed for lunch. Julie is from Los Angeles, California. She is developing a multimedia project on Iranian – Americans as cultural pioneers and bridge-gappers.

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Enrichment Foreign Fulbright Fulbright-Millennial Trains Project

“From Pakistan to Whitefish, Montana”

August 14, 2014

In the words of Anser Shaukat, a Fulbright Foreign Student from Pakistan:

Anser draws the images of America he views on the Millennial Train Project journey.

Anser draws the images of America he views on the Millennial Trains Project journey.

Our whitefish adventure began with us packing ourselves and our leather bag-packs in a rental car. Armed with nothing but traditional maps, we started heading towards the rocky blue horizon that seemed to be the permanent backdrop for the city of Whitefish.

The mountains in the distance reminded me of various swatches of blue paper cutouts meticulously selected and arranged along the horizon.

As we got closer, the colors changed from cerulean to red and viridian; a sight that could not be ignored by young smart phone-wielding Millennials. It was no wonder that our journey to the Glacier National Park took the pace of the glacier itself; slowly carving our way, through the lush pine, ridged rocks and silver rivers.

We stopped our cars immediately and frequently to immortalize our memories of the park’s grandeur in our phones whenever a breathtaking ravine would demand it of us and the hoard of visitors behind us would allow. It did not matter how many times we circled around the same rocky facade, the cameras would come out each time, as if the mountain was born anew. Each time we stopped, we would run across the highways avoiding incoming cars, Karachi-style, receiving shouts from the bikers along the way. We didn’t care, we were alive.

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Enrichment Foreign Fulbright Fulbright-Millennial Trains Project

“All Aboard”

August 11, 2014

August 6, 2014: “Whirlwind Arrival”

The adventure started in Portland! Everybody who’s been to Portland International Airport would immediately recognize this carpet, which is famous!

Katie Nikolaeva landed in Portland on August, 6,2014.

My favorite place in Portland became (guess what) Union Station! We basically lived there for the first two days waiting for the train and exploring the city along the way.

Portland is considered the most “hipster” city in the U.S., and you can feel it just walking on the streets.

Katie visited Powell’s Books in Portland.

The first ‘hipster’ place I visited was Powell’s Books, which can be best described as a city of books. You can spend hours and hours there looking through thousands (probably millions!) of different books — from technical to art literature sitting on one shelf.

Portland is also often called Rose City, because people say that the climate there is perfect for growing roses, and you can see it in almost every element of architecture.

After all the MTP project participants gathered at the hub we headed to Mark Zusman’s home for dinner. Zusman is the editor of the alternative newspaper Willamette Week. We had an first amazing dinner and equally amazing speakers — young entrepreneurs who were presenting their small businesses (right to my topic!). Among others, we learned about Britt Howard’s creative fashion enterprise ‘Portland Garment Factory’, which was started as a sewing shop and developed into the fashion house, the last project of which was the uniform for flight attendants of Michael Jordan’s private jet!

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Enrichment Foreign Fulbright Fulbright-Millennial Trains Project

“Millennials and Future Cities”

August 7, 2014

Our Fulbright-MTP participants made it safely to Portland for today’s launch of the MTP 2014 journey. Here they reflect on their Fulbright experience thus far, what they believe are the most pressing issues facing global Millennials today and how their Fulbright-MTP project is a vehicle for enhancing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

In the words of Alyas Widita, a Fulbright Foreign Student from Indonesia:

Alyas Widita is a current Fulbright Foreign Student from Indonesia.

I feel very fortunate to be awarded a Fulbright scholarship as it has enabled me to immerse myself with the voices, perspectives, and ideas of fellow Fulbrighters and Millennials around the world. Through these meetings and conversations, I believe the pressing challenges of my generation, the Millennial, are centered around one term: connection. Millennial is the first generation that has the resources and technology to recognize the world is, essentially, inextricably linked. Not only does the linkage manifests in global challenges such as climate change, sustainability, economic development, etc., but also relates to our daily life — what we wear and how we move. To that end, I believe the Millennial generation can shape a better world by further intensifying connection and solidifying understanding between themselves, as well as with generations before and after them. I would like to make sure Millennials and generations after me will continue to enhance this connection by being an active advocate of knowledge and cultural exchange.

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Enrichment Foreign Fulbright Fulbright-Millennial Trains Project

“Only In Boston”

August 6, 2014

As our Fulbright-MTP participants make their way to Portland for tomorrow’s launch of the MTP 2014 journey, they reflect on their Fulbright experience thus far, what they believe are the most pressing issues facing global Millennials today and how their Fulbright-MTP project is a vehicle for enhancing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

In the words of Anser Shaukat, a Fulbright Foreign Student from Pakistan:

It’s been two years since that bright eyed lad stepped out of Logan, on what he would later learn, is considered a particularly bright and beautiful day in New England.

As I sit now preparing for my upcoming journey in the Millennial Trains Project, excited about discovering the varying cultural landscapes of the U.S, I can’t help but think about that boy and my first experience in the landscape of Boston.

Anser Shaukat is a current Fulbright Foreign Student from Pakistan.

My plan was to take the bus-tram hybrid, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Silver Line to South Station and from there transfer to the bus to New Bedford, my final destination. I thought I had done my research, looked up the times and the routes, but I was in no way prepared to handle the unique challenges offered by a new city. I huffed and puffed my three pieces of brand new luggage on the Silver Line, which right up until that moment were my trophies of readiness; Two years of life in the land of the free, packed in two pieces of checked baggage and one hand carry. A hundred and thirty pounds; barely under the weight limit. The inevitability of the situation makes me laugh at that boy and the pride he had in those bags. He had felt ready then, prepared to take on the new world and his new life.

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