Upon arrival to our downtown San Antonio hotel, we quickly checked in and needed to make a very important decision…What should we eat? After early flights out of Indy we all had gotten quite hungry –and having hungry graduate students is never good. We decided to take the advice of one of the hotel’s employees and quickly made our way to Moses Rose’s Hideout. They are known for their in-house smoked brisket, fresh burgers, and live music. When we walked up to the restaurant we were greeted by a curious fellow who led us into the restaurants foyer, which appeared to dead end. He then informed us that everyone must perform a trick in order to gain entrance into the restaurant or face a heavy cover charge. He suggested jumping on one foot, hula-hooping, or rubbing your belly while patting your head.
We all took our turns, not all that concerned about being embarrassed in front of each other – it’s definitely not the first time that has happened. He then pressed a button on the wall which opened the secret door to the hideout. As we walked through the saloon doors we were greeted by the other patrons with rounds of applause and soon realized that there was a live video feed into the restaurant of our less than stellar moves.
Brisket Tacos
However the air in the room was full of smoke from the smoking briskets and the amazing smells and thoughts of food quickly replaced our minor embarrassments. All of us knew brisket had to be the food of choice. Jessica and Cheneta went for brisket topped burgers, Justin got a brisket sandwich, and Dr. Latham, Ryan, and I went for the brisket tacos topped with pico de gallo and guacamole, they were fantastic! And so began Dr. Latham and my taco challenge! We are going to eat some sort of taco (defined as anything wrapped in a tortilla) at least once a day.
So stay tuned for future food and exploring posts as we make our way south to Falfurrias!
We have two native Texans in our group. To the 49 other states that comprise the United States of America, this doesn’t mean much. However, as a Wisconsinite who has traveled actually quite a bit, and an anthropologist, this phenomenon in Texas is absolutely worth a brief post. Bear with me, this is my first foray into ethnographic writing.
Ethnography: a research method designed to explore cultural phenomena where the researcher observes society from the point of view of the subject of the study. Data collection methods are meant to capture the “social meanings and ordinary activities” of people (informants) in “naturally occurring settings” that are commonly referred to as “the field.” (Definition courtesy of Wikipedia)
Ryan and Dr. Latham in their natural habitat.
I woke up this afternoon in a different country. It wasn’t intentional, and it was only half expected. I was in Texas.
Since I had soundly slept on each airplane since we first boarded in Indianapolis, including the layover in Dallas, I had missed the gradual transition from flip flops and baseball hats to cowboy boots and Stetsons. I shouldn’t have. One of our Texans (Ryan) wore his pointy, heel-clicking kickers on the plane. Our other native Dr. Latham didn’t. Truly, before this trip, I would have considered her a domesticated Texan. Domesticated Texans are those that blend in outside of Texas, almost like normal people.
Delicious kolaches (photo from last summer)
The excitement of preparing and returning to Falfurrias had overshadowed the impending cultural shock. Texas requires an acclimation period of all irregular visitors. Everything really is bigger in Texas. Last year, we flew into Dallas and drive almost twelve hours to get to Falfurrias. Who knew Texas was so vast? At the sacrifice of the delicious Czech kolaches from West, Texas, this year we flew into San Antonio which is a short two-or-so hour jaunt to Falfurrias.
Our native Texans started our first day almost normally. It was difficult to believe we were in a different country. We stopped for lunch and were introduced to two of many things Texas does exceptionally well: beef and tacos. It appears the natives are exceptionally fond of tacos. (I will research this more: Are all Texans fueled by tacos?) Non-native Erica also appeared to immensely appreciate the tacos. It was a great meal with a feisty server who managed to convince native Dr. Latham her school-issued credit card was no good (he lied!) But, hey, go big or go home in Texas.
The Alamo
The bulwark of resistance, the Alamo, was our next stop. Native Ryan insisted on blending in with the tourists and awkwardly photographing our group in various poses. Was this an ingrained desire to make tourists feel more welcome in Texas? Or some other motivator I have yet to decipher? This seems normal behavior for him, and native Dr. Latham as well. After further observation, maybe Texans are naturally inclined to excessively photo-document. The same phenomena occurred along the scenic San Antonio Riverwalk.
Though only at the beginning of this ethnographic study, I have been told to watch for several classic Texan sightings including big, big hair, the taller the better for women, and gleaming belt buckles for both sexes. These are probable status symbols in this culture. Also a propensity for dancing, either in something called a “Texas two-step” (how is it called a dance with only two steps?) or with many people standing in a line together (line-dancing, I think they call it). Overall, this trip is already gearing up to be a very promising cultural experience in this country called Texas.
…deep in the heart of Texas! We made it safe and sound to San Antonio.
Leaving on a jet plane
Our adventure began as we met at 6:30am at the airport at the American Airlines counter. Six people, seven checked bags and nine carry-on bags were soon on their way to the lone star state. My job quickly became keeping track of students and gear as we went from Indianapolis, to Dallas-Ft. Worth to San Antonio. After picking up all our gear from baggage claim our next challenge was getting everything to fit in our rental minivan and navigating downtown San Antonio to find our hotel for the day. We got to spend some time exploring San Antonio today, which allowed us to begin adjusting to the Texas heat and humidity before we start working in this environment tomorrow.
Words can’t express how proud I am of these students for the sacrifices they are making to help families they don’t even know find their missing loved ones. While this is a learning experience for them and a chance to exemplify our university’s motto of “Education for service”, they are going above and beyond by participating in this mission. They are taking two weeks out of their summer vacations, far away from family and friends, to work in the grueling Texas heat. They have spent the past year working tirelessly to raise funds to supplement the expenses of the trip and bring awareness to the situation along the border. Their dedication and passion are incredible and I hope they realize just how special and selfless they are.
