Outcomes

Now that I am back in the states at home reflecting on the trip I have realized I learned a lot over the past five weeks. This was a great experience for me in terms of both engineering and my education and I really appreciated being part of this program. It is definitely something I'll remember for my whole life. 

I learned several things as a result of this very unique study abroad experience. I learned how to communicate a lot better. Living and working in a city that you are not fluent in the language helps you learn to communicate better since you can’t get your exact point across. It helped me to be able to be less of a perfectionist in that way too. I know some Spanish, but obviously when learning a language mistakes will happen. I do not know how to say everything perfect and this study abroad experience helped me learn that it is okay. I had a lot of conversations where me and the other person probably missed a lot of what we each were trying to say. However, usually we still got the main point of what we were trying to say to each other. Learning how to say things very concise and simple is a very important thing to learn for all parts of life really. But of course I did learn more Spanish, so I will be able to speak more Spanish as a result of this experience. I plan to continue learning Spanish and this experience boosted my Spanish speaking confidence so feel more comfortable practicing the language. This experience helped me realize how much Spanish I actually know. 

Going to Paris with very little knowledge of french made me really realize how much spanish I knew!



I also learned that being on the other side of the world does not really feel any different. Also the differences in technology has helped me learn to be less dependent on it. I care way less about always having my phone with me and fully charged at all times. 

My old school spanish phone

My educational background made some of an impact on my ability to perform on my project. Being a senior in the engineering program with some internship experience helped me feel pretty comfortable with my ability to do well in the program. This project was not incredibly technical though so I do think underclassman would have been just fine with it as well. I think that after all the engineering classes I have taken so far, I knew how to manage my time with the project and also how to work individually. My mentor was very busy so she didn’t have time to explain every tiny thing to me so I had to be able to learn on my own.

This is me and my mentor on the final presentation day

I didn’t have many challenges with the differences in educational training. I really liked the mix of educational backgrounds that were chosen. I think it is great to have people from different points in the degree. I feel like my mentor wasn’t very clear on what was expected of me and I honestly wasn’t clear for a while either. I understood we needed to do the poster and all of that but I was not sure how technical I was supposed to get. My mentor was very helpful and didn’t overwhelm me with things that were out of my range of understanding. She was very patient. Since I’m a visual learner, the language barrier wasn’t a huge problem. I would read the standards in English and then watch the test and ask questions after if I was unclear. Overall, I wasn’t really sure what to expect with the program, but I didn’t expect to be doing what I did. My project was certifying safety equipment so it really didn’t feel like research. My hypothesis didn’t seem like something I was even really able to prove, especially in just four weeks. Overall I still learned a lot about my topic from my mentor and my own reading. Honestly the blogs and reflection paper were challenging for me. It seems so simple to write but I haven’t wrote non-technical papers in so long it is a little strange to get used to.

Social Indentity

Well I definitely had some misconceptions about this place and this program. I realized I'd been grouping Spanish culture in with Latin American culture a lot, when in reality they are very different. The food is so different here comparatively! I JUST WANT SALSAAAA or anything spicy. Tabasco sauce is literally the only spicy thing here. Even the peppers at the market are like fake or something.

I also thought I'd be learning spanish like crazy and its really disappointing that I'm not. I thought it'd be really easy to write blogs about my experience here but it honestly feels more like an assignment that I'm trying to get out of the way so I can actually experience things. I thought I would feel like I'm on the other side of the world and I really don't. I thought Europe was a lot smaller than it is; people always say, "oh yeah you can just pop on a train and go all over Europe in a jiffy." But its really not that easy.. or cheap. Kavitha and I just booked flights to Paris for the last week and if we were to take a train it'd be like 11 hours or something.. thats not exactly a jiffy and that train ride is almost twice the price of flying.

I thought I'd get kinda homesick but this time has gone by so fast that I really didn't have time to. I am starting to count down the days though so maybe I am a little. I can't really tell the difference between getting irritable or stressed out about things here and homesickness. It'll be nice to be back home though. I thought getting away from everyone for a while would make me think about things and my life in general differently too. I've been wanting to move away from Arlington for a while thinking it would change things or change my perspective. If being on the other side of the world doesn't change my view, I doubt being three hours away will either. I guess it's really hard to define how i see things without being super biased though, so I'm not really sure how to say how I'm viewing this experience or how I view experiences in general. Everyone said wow you'll be so different when you come back from Spain and its really hard for me to tell if I will be. But I did enjoy ham here and would never eat it in a million years at home so I guess I have.

Cultural Identity
 Like I've said before the customer service attitude is different. It's easy to complain about the customer service here, but honestly back home in customer service jobs sometimes I wished more than anything I could act like this to some of the terrible people you encounter in those kind of jobs. But I never wanted to be mean to nice customers! In Barcelona, there was a restaurant advertising a deal for 2 tapas + paella for 11,95 euro. Seemed like a good deal so me, Kavitha, and Ariel (all being nice customers) stopped in. We were about to go out for the night and weren't really hungry so we just wanted to share one order. Well apparently that doesn't fly in the tourist section of Las Ramblas in Barcelona. The waiter acted like we were absolutely insane and told us his manager would kill him if he let us do that. We kinda argued a little and then I noticed these two spanish guys next to us were sharing! So I pointed and said, "well why are they sharing a meal?" Finally he was said, "I can let you order two instead of all three but not just one. Oh and you have to get separate drinks." Umm of course we were going to get our own sangrias. He was so rude and at that moment I was really glad that tipping the waiters isn't a thing here.
So that's another cultural attitude difference, in America the waiters try to be super nice so they get a good tip. Also, since it's so difficult to split checks here and to get receipts they obviously have different attitudes about dining out and money. I think it shows they value money less that Americans do. If you go out with your friends, they obviously don't have to split the bill perfectly or even split it at all. They don't rush you out of restaurants either, they want you to relax and have a nice time out. Maybe they don't give receipts because they don't have the same entitlement attitude that Americans have. If you lose a couple euros then its like okay well oops maybe next time you won't, the moneys not "yours" anymore here after you pay. In america its seems like people think they deserve so much. When you accidentally buy something, you still "deserve" that money back in America. Now that I think about it, returns are kinda a weird concept. From a business owner perspective, I can see what seems to be the spanish point of view. Why is it the business' problem that you messed up? They are kind of doing you a favor. I think "deserving" things is such a weird concept in general. When I got this opportunity people kept telling me I deserve it and It's hard for me to think that other people didn't, I just think it's luck almost or something that just happened. Also with the money I'm getting from this, It's so easy for me to spend since I wouldn't have had it otherwise, I don't feel like it's "mine" or something I deserve. I guess that's part of my social identity. I don't come from a rich family or a super poor one either. Having tons of money saved up doesn't make me happy just as buying material things doesn't but I have no problem at all paying for experiences. I definitely didn't do engineering for the money and I never want to have to think about money. When my dad lost his job when I was little I didn't even really know and when my mom couldn't work anymore, my dad never said a word about financial problems even if there were some. I'm really glad that's part of my family's culture, I feel like it's pretty different that the typical american view on money. I never really realized this until this trip and seeing how different Spain is with money. I think It's very related to how calm everyone is here given the economic problems. It's very different than the American attitude during economic crisis.

Aspirations

Inside and outside AIDICO I have learned a lot about civil engineering. Outside of AIDICO, I have noticed the very different infrastructure.

 The traffic circles and roundabouts are the most significant difference. They flow so nicely here, actually the traffic in general flows so nicely here. I also noticed all of their crosswalks are further from the intersections and always perpendicular to the street. In my Street & Highway Design class at UTA, I learned that this is a much safer way to handle pedestrian crossing. My favourite part of the infrastructure here is the bike paths! They are so cute! I learned a lot about bikes paths and lanes too and it is great to finally see examples of it in person. I love how the people here walk and bike so much. So much that they have signalized crosswalks! Like the cars and trams have a red light solely to let people cross. I've never seen that in the states. Maybe they have it where there are more pedestrians. Also, I noticed that the texture of the sidewalks change near the crosswalks. I’m pretty sure this is for the blind which is such a smart way to handle it. Maybe they do that in the US too, I forgot already. While working at AIDICO I’ve learned a lot of new civil engineering related things. I´m getting a lot better of a feel for the metric system for sure! I have learned engineering and construction vocabulary in Spanish. This is a great tool for engineers that work in construction. I have learned about the differences in the testing and certification of construction safety equipment. I am also learning to communicate better. Living in an environment with a language barrier, it is important to learn how to say things the simplest way possible and still get the point across. I do consider this to be a civil engineering skill. When working in consulting, it is crucial to be able to communicate the essence of an engineering project to people who are not engineers. Simplicity is always key with communication. I have also learned how to be more aware of dangers in construction sites. The lab I work in is dangerous but my mentor is very good at telling me what precautions I should take. For example, here´s a video of a test we did. We all were away from the testing area since the whole formwork structure could fall.

 I can use this international education experience to help with giving a world perspective on projects. Civil engineering is the design, construction, and maintenance of the physically or naturally built environment. We all live in slightly different environments but civil engineering is still a global thing. We need to be able to compare and contrast what works and what doesn’t when it comes to design and maintenance of our environments. This experience also helps me understand other cultures better and communicate better. This will help a lot in group projects and interacting with others in general. This international experience is definitely helping me shape my future goals. I´m still kind of torn between research and industry but this experience will help me finally decide. Research is great because it is always changing and it helps shape the industry. I like that research is typically not a nine to five job. One of my main life goals was to try to live in Spain for a while and work here. I used to always joke about it so it’s crazy that I´m actually here. Unfortunately, economically that is a terrible idea to stay here beyond this program. So I’m really grateful that I am getting this IRES experience since it is letting me live one of my dreams for 5 weeks. And I hope the economic situation here gets better soon!!

View from my balcony here

 I think the economic problems here are helping me shape my future goals too. It is very inspiring that the people I work with have such a positive attitude and still put 100% into their job given the situation they have been put in. I know from family experiences that even though you have spent so much time building a career, it can easily be taken away at any moment. I feel like the people at AIDICO have this instilled in them too since they’ve seen so many of their co-workers get laid off. This mindset really helps people enjoy their job and not count down to 5 pm everyday or count down to Friday. My career objective is to enjoy what I do and to not take the opportunities I have been given for granted.

Culture

I noticed cultural differences the second I got off the plane in Zurich. All the european people just seem to have a different vibe. Even the flight attendants on the plane seemed to know which passengers to speak to in german and which to speak to in english. (Except they did accidentally talk to me in german a couple time but i guess my 1/4 austrian must have thrown them off). The first cultural difference I noticed on arriving in Valencia was how everyone speaks with their hands so much! Also, the women here dress so well all the time. I mean even on flights; I fly in yoga pants and tennis!
I think learning a language is a great way to learn about a culture. For example, in vietnamese they don´t have the word "if" so they don´t worry as much as other people since they can´t even say "what if." Anyways I´m learning the Spanish language and I think it helps me understand the culture better. I know a lot of Mexican Spanish but its crazy to learn how many words are different. As shown in this funny video that my new Valencian friend showed me after he tried to have a convo with me in spanish.

 As for different sights in this country, topless people on the beach is definitely something you don´t see in the states! Also couples here show a lot more PDA! (The topless people at the beach showing a lot of PDA is even more culturally shocking). I´ve noticed there are a lot more women working here in AIDICO than in most engineering companies in the states. One of the many difference in the work environment is the attire the ladies wear to work. They dress really cute then just change into the work boots when necessary. For another example, I´m writing this at work right now lol. I defintely couldn´t do this at my internship back home. They are a lot more laid back about safety in the laboratories also. It´s kinda funny since I work in the "saftey lab" lol but they still are really safe since the one I work in is really dangerous. Here's a pic of it even though it doesn't really show how big or tall it is though!

Another cultural difference in the work environment is the manager that walks around smoking his pipe and smokes ciggarettes in the office. The way of life is much different especially the general day schedule. The business hours are hard to get used to though! I´m definitely a fan of the siesta. I kinda like the eating schedule. It's a nice breakfast, then a snack at 11ish, a big lunch at 2-3, siesta time, a snack in the afternoon, then finally a late dinner at 9-10 pm. The food is very different too, I was expecting spicy because of Mexican food but it's still good. This picture is of Bravas. It's fries and tabasco sauce with a ton of this butter/mayo stuff on it?? It was good but then it was so greasy it hurt my stomach. But it was fun we watched the world cup and had una jarra (a pitcher). This is a place really close to our flat.

 I have to say italy and mexico are still winning the food competition. We did have some really great sangria though! I also like the fanta and cerveza mix! The night life schedule is way different too! We didn´t even get to the club until 2:00 am the other night! The coolest part is they can basically tailgate in the parking lot of the bars and there are people selling cold beers for like one euro too! (They do it on the beach too it´s so convienent). Then they stay out sooo late. We saw the sunrise both times we´ve gone out so far. I asked this guy I met if it was normal to stay up till 8 am partying and he laughed and said "Welcome to Spain." We walked to the port after the disco and watched the sunrise with them, it was really fun. We were exhausted from the walk but it was worth it.

 One cultural challenge for me is the way guys talk to you at bars. They are very forward and persistant! I mean I barely understand what they are saying and they still try. They are very touchy as well and too persistant for me. One guy I met told me in very broken english that it didn´t matter because there´s no language for love or something and then went in to do the little kiss kiss greeting they do but tried to actually kiss me! I´d literally known him for a minute and a half and he wasn´t even that cute. Overall, I like the Spanish culture and am really enjoying life in Valencia!

When I grow up

I'm not one of the engineers that played with legos their whole life and always dreamed of building bridges. I actually didn't really know exactly what an engineer did until college. I never really knew the answer to the "what do you want to be when you grow up?" question (and honestly I still don´t!). My first year of college I had no idea what degree to choose and took basics at a community college. Then I decided that I wanted to try to do something that would help the environmental problems we face. So I went to UTA for environmental biology. Then everyone asked what I'm going to do with that degree and I didn't know the answer to that question either. My sister and her friend told me I should look into engineering since I like math and it has a lot of job opportunities. At first I was really intimated by it since everyone says it's so hard. I went into the program with the mindset of "I'll just switch back to bio if I don't make it." I chose Civil since they had an environmental engineering program. Unfortunately, I realized that's not exactly what it seems. So now I'm set on Structures. I like it and it's challenging and interesting. I used to be really scared and doubt my ability to succeed in engineering but now I realize that it's an achievable goal. Sustainability is becoming more popular in structural engineering. I want to work with sustainability and try to make it more widespread in the field of structures. I've already learned at AIDICO the amount of pollution that the manufacturing of cement causes. Using alternate construction materials could help reduce the negative effects on the environment. I also think that as a woman, I can offer a different perspective in the profession.

Becoming a civil/structural engineer will help me reach my professional goals as well as personal. I want to help inspire young girls to be confident in their abilities. When I was little I never personally knew a woman engineer and never saw one in the media. I actually didn´t meet one until I was in my first engineering class. Obviously engineering isn't for everyone, but I think young girls should know the door is open. People always make jokes that you get a lot of stuff handed to you just for being a girl, but they forget that girls know how do open doors for themselves too. I like helping kids in general realize math isn´t evil! Last semester I was involved in a project where high school kids made bridges out of balsa wood that met certain criteria. Then we tested them to see which was the strongest. It was really fun and hands on way to help them see that math and engineering are actually fun and useful!

I also tutored at a junior high school a couple years ago for an AVID class. AVID is a program that helps prepare kids for the path to college. It´s meant for the kids that are just on the edge of the honors classes. I remember when I was struggling in my first honors math class in 7th grade the teacher said, "Would you rather be at the top of the regular classes, or the bottom of the honors classes?" I´m glad I stuck with the honors classes so I enjoyed helping the kids stick with their honors classes. At the beginning none of them wanted any career that was math related at all, but at the end of the semester one shy kid asked me a lot about engineering. I was so happy that he has that option now! I like engineering because it gives you the knowldege and tools to literally design and build the world you want to live in. Engineering in it´s essence giving solutions to problems, and I think the STEM education is a huge problem. Not only do I want to be an engineer, but I want to be involved in getting kids to realize it´s a fun career.

A professional goal of mine is to perhaps work with airplane structures. It is a very specific part of structural engineering but since my dad is a pilot, I've always liked airplanes and am so intrigued by how they work. It is so crazy how they actually fly?!? This is a pic from the flight here, swiss air is so nice! I actually noticed while boarding the flight that the plane was made by the company ThyssenKrupp. At my previous internship I was working on a ThyssenKrupp project. We were designing the connections for the industrial plant that they designed the structure of.