The Subway By: Lusizi R C Kambalame, Malawi

It all starts with a note on our program schedule 'meet in the Palladium Lobby'. We congregate, all 18 of us and the staff. The traditional 'good mornings' take on the tirade of the conversation. We then shoot out of the Palladium Hall which has become home into the street. We turn and walk north towards the entrance of the Union square station. Clambering down the steps to the station we are usually in different states of getting the Metro card out - from backpacks, purses, pockets or panicking from thinking the metro card is forgotten or lost. But none has lost the card. We wade thru the gates into the grounds walking towards the platform. All around us is a buzz of commuters in the usual rush; to work, from work, going shopping, running an errand and going god knows where, but in a hurry nonetheless.

In the station we are greeted by amateur musicians trying out their voices and chords for our split second attention! It is a jumble of sounds, movements and emotions as we make our way to the platform. The train draws to a halt and we move in, almost at pace as if drawn by a single thread, all moving forward. From the intercom a warning and reminder that we are to roll from the station sounds and everybody is onboard! The subway is like nothing I have experienced. It’s my keyhole view of what America is; a place of many possibilities, and where success is not contained - it could happen to anyone at any time perhaps to one of the subway musicians. It is a country of migrants with many dreams, as wide and diverse as the subway commuters’ skin tones, and with a culture that is rooted in different struggles as well as victories.

Inside the train voices with different accents are heard above the rumbling of the train and rattle of the metal on the rail. It is the 18 visiting scholars and the MIAS staff talking; discovering more about New York, and the US, getting to know each other more, recalling the previous day’s excursion, lectures and balancing out our thoughts. And the silence of the metro can no longer be, the commuters have been bombarded with excited conversations. And soon we will reach the stop to our destination which ranges from a museum to a baseball stadium and we will alight and clamber up the steps into the street and the summer heat. We have conquered the subway!

Ramzan @ New Mexico By: Ashraf Koyilothan Kandiyil, India

The participants of SUSI program on "US Culture and Society" were on a six day tour to Colorado and New Mexico in the last week. The tour was fascinating to me because it provided valuable first hand information on the cultural and regional diversity of America. It gave us a thrilling mountaineering experience at Pikes Peak,

and an opportunity to visit Taos Pueblo, where the American Indians, settled for years without much changes in their cultural traditions.

The tour was memorable for me as the Ramzan, the month of fasting for Muslims, began on Sunday, 29 June, 2014.  Aby, Muhammad, Mai, and I have been observing the fast. As the schedule for food change during the month of Ramzan, the first day will be of some inconvenience. At the same time, it was on the first day of Ramzan that we visited Garden of the Gods,  and a hike to Pikes Peak.

Some of our friends took a short path, whereas others opted for a longer trail, enjoying the climbing of some mountains and other natural landscapes. The hike was tedious for me because of the heat and fasting. But, I enjoyed the whole walk, mainly due to the sense of humour of Mauricio. As usual, Lidia was busy with photographs and she was daring enough to climb up to the tip of the mountain to get nice snaps. What made the trail fun is that 2 of our friends went missing for a short while before coming back.

After hiking, the group moved towards New Mexico. On the way, we stopped at Cactus Flower Mexican restaurant for lunch. For the first time, we four could not join for lunch. While all others were enjoying Mexican food, we had a heated discussion on the political conditions of Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and India. We reached El Monte Sagrado Hotel in Taos by 6.00 pm. After check in, the group arrived in the hotel lobby for an evening walk in Tao Street. We, the four were eager to find out some supermarket to buy some drinks and snack for iftar (for breaking of the fast at the time of sunset). After a long walk, we four along with Nicoleta, Umut and Jacek found a supermarket named Smith’s and bought some drinks and fruits.

The first iftar party was scheduled in the balcony of my room. We four along with Jacek had a memorable Iftar party there. Iftar party was fruitful as serious inter-faith religious discussion was carried out between us. Mauricio and my then roommate Jorge joined the party later. We spent hours in the beautiful balcony of the hotel with mind blowing discussion on various topics that ranged between political system in Poland to striking affinities between Islam and Christianity.   

Birthday at the Cultural Crossroads By:Jacek Romaniuk, Poland

I think that coincidences may happen in one's life from time to time without even noticing them, but important events happen on purpose and carry a significant meaning in our lives, though we might not perceive it at the moment when they occur. I had this feeling when going on a trip to Colorado Springs, Taos, and Canon City. And so it happened that when in Canon City I turned 40.

My extended ”adopted family” - the MIAS staff – prof. Philip Hosay (whose warm thoughts and concern accompanied us during this trip) Ali, Lindsey, Anna, Adam, Christian, and Lydia (who greeted us back and reminded of our research :) along with 17 members: Abi, Ashraf, Chunlei, Cheng-Han, Jane, Jorge, Le, Lussisi, Lidia, Mai, Margarida, Mauricio, Mohamed, Munazza, Nicoleta, Svetlana, and Umut organized a wonderful and unexpected birthday reception for me on the Royal Gorge Train – and I will cherish the memories, along with the card and the group photo (which will have an honorary place on my office desk) forever. Let me express my deep gratitude for that once again. With such wonderful companions turning forty is less painful – THANK YOU ALL!     

While on the Royal Gorge train going through the Canion of the Arkansas River in the Southwest I thought of literary equivalents to my situation. The motif of the train going through the Southwest was well depicted by Stephen Crane in one of his short stories - "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky.” Although its plot is set in Texas, I think that in some respect our experience in Colorado was similar: the train symbolized the progress of civilization.

However, in light of what we have managed to observe, this term carries different meanings for different peoples or ethnic groups. Starting with the Pioneers Museum in Downtown Colorado Springs, we learned that civilization could mean taming the nature as the pioneers to the Pikes Peak Region did, however, till this day some forces of nature (eg. last two great fires) are beyond people's control.

 At Colorado College we were told that civilization may have various discursive connotations – it is either "Remember the Alamo" slogan or stories retained in corridas. While hiking the trails of Garden of the Gods we realized that our lives, no matter how sophisticated, are just a mere glimpse in comparison with red rocks standing solid for millions of years.

Taos Pueblo, in turn, is a place where civilizations intermingle and collide: the Native Language Tiwa along with religious rituals and pracitices are kept secret for the fear of past oppressions, however two structures of the Pueblo over 1000-years old – Hlaauma (North House) and Hlaukkwima (South House) are a living record of sophistication and advancement of the Natives.

The San Geronimo Church is a place of reconciliation where they merge their indigenous religious practices with Catholic rites and rituals. Therefore, as all these sites and cultural situations indicate, civilization is constantly in the making and whether it bears positive or negative meanings depends on people and their attitudes toward one another.

The past is gone, the present is in the making, and the future is unknown. It would be ideal if one could learn from the past, so as to construe the present is such a way that future generations could be proud of their forefathers. Though many things are beyond our recognition....

I met a seer.

He held in his hands

The book of wisdom.

"Sir," I addressed him,

"Let me read."

"Child -- " he began.

"Sir," I said,

"Think not that I am a child,

For already I know much

Of that which you hold.

Aye, much."

He smiled.

Then he opened the book

And held it before me. --

Strange that I should have grown so suddenly blind.

                                                ------ Stephen Crane, "I met a seer" ----------