Memories I am afraid I'll forget

Day 10, Stanford vs. Colgate Football Match

Remember I won two tickets for the Stanford season opening? Today's the day I finally get to go. And thanks to Susie, I am not going alone!

Saturday, I had my second ever invitation here in the US. When I received word that my Fulbright fellow colleague Marci from Berkeley is not going to make it to the game, Susie had an idea. They had a lunch invite to one of their friends (who are Austrian by the way), so she called them and asked if the couple's daughter, Carolina, wanted to go to the match with me.

I was a bit afraid that this girl I never met would say no, but at this time, I think I was not fully aware the Silicon-Valley-ian way of thinking and living. Carolina immediately said yes and even bought some Stanford merch before we went to the game.

I, in exchange, received an invitation for lunch, where I had the best pea soup ever. I loved chatting about my work and scholarship here, while I got to know about them, too. I instantly got a possible connection to a Stanford professor – yes, this is how things are done I guess here in the Bay.

After getting to know this funny family, Carolina's father took us to the Stanford Stadium. Funny story that I understand German. While the father was driving us, Carolina got a bit afraid in the car and asked her Papa 'Papa, bist du getrunken?' Which translates to: 'Papa, are you drunk?' Trying not to smile too broadly at their conversation, or rather Caroline scolding her father, I enjoyed the ride while making sure I would not let on that I picked up on the ongoing drama.

Tailgate is a new word I learned at Stanford. When game season is out, Stanford people (families, alumni, current students) get together, cook and drink before the match starts. They do so in the 'tail' or tailgate of the game. In other words, the nearest flat place they can start their cooking fires on. Tailgate is like small country fairs, except for the fact that are small Stanford university family fairs. I loved it! The atmosphere is amazing, you can feel the buzz of Stanford-educated, or to-be-Stanford-educated people. (Or just regular accidental walk-ins, like us).

Getting to the gate, I got held up, as my pouch was big according to one of the guards. Thankfully, the other guard gave me the benefit of the doubt (plus he measured my pouch) and they let us in. We did not initially even scan our tickets; they would have just let us in anyway (pro tip if you needed a free rider ticket: bring a pouch that is debatable, debate it and then just go on, nobody would notice you have not scanned your ticket).

Before the match started, I got hold of my first Stanford merch, a nice red tee with an extremely obvious STANFORD logo on front. The experience felt almost complete. We grabbed something to drink and found a place to sit. Before we got into the stadium, the nice old man at the gate told us not to sit on the sun, as there were plenty of empty spaces left in the shades, too. They were not expecting a big public turnout, as the opening match was Stanford versus Colgate. Yes, Colgate. The Stanford marching band also made fun of them during the midgame show, as the conductor was dressed as a tooth fairy, while the drummer's drum had the title 'Toothpase' on it.

We found a good seat and when the game started, I got to learn the basics of American football. I had a great time with Carolina, and we were preparing for the break when she realized her wallet was missing.

The instant heart attack I had! She was not afraid, though. She said that we were at a Stanford match, so people will eventually turn the wallet in at lost and found. You would not believe this, either. We went to the nearest lost and found and there it was! Her wallet, untouched. I love and will cherish Stanford people forever.

These private universities really know how to make money and spend it well. They honor their alumni, who in exchange, keep the brand image and the whole myth around these ivy league schools alive. I am telling you this as a foreword of our second half of the game. We then choose different (more expensive and much better) seats right in the middle of the field, and we landed ourselves with an enthusiastic Stanford Alumni in front of us. He was literally wearing Stanford all over him (hat, shirt, watch, badge), even joking that his underwear was from the Stanford merch shop, too. I was amazed at this lovely man and how Carolina just started a casual conversation with him that never wanted to end. This funny man we got to know went to Stanford law school, finished it, and became a lawyer. 6 years later he quit and started doing a job he loved, teaching. Showing off this alumni pride, he gets season tickets to the Stanford football matches each season, which means he is flying into the Bay Area almost every second (or every other) week. What compassion and loyalty!

This lovely, joking old man was a showcase example how a good higher education marketing is done. I instantly envied him for attending Stanford. He did not (or might have just known) know how lucky he was to have competed Stanford Law School.

We got on extremely well, he even suggested one of his friends for me to reach out to, as it turns out, he teaches at San Jose State University. Have I not mentioned people are so fun here? If you have the connections, you have everything. Here I was, almost at the end of the day, and I already had more connections than I could have asked for.

I think I am starting to understand what Silicon Valley really means. Connections. That's all about connections.