Texas - The Lone Star State
The Alamo
San Antonio, Texas
Mission San Antonio de Valero might have been a forgotten relic from Spanish colonization. It served as a place of trade and religious conversion during the 1700's. Eventually, Mexico won its independence from Spain, and the abandoned mission was used as a fort and garrison for the Mexican army. In 1836, however, Texans, composed of Americans, Meztisos, and slaves, rebelled against Mexican Catholic rule. General of the Mexican army Santa Anna, known as The Napoleon of the West, came to Texas with a huge army to repress the rebellion. The Texan army was mostly untrained and poorly equipped.
To buy time for the army to retreat, 182 men stayed in the Alamo to hold off the Mexican army, which had about 1800 men at the battle. For almost 2 weeks, the men held off the Mexican army while they were surrounded. Inside the Alamo were 3 living legends: Davy Crockett, Daniel Bowie, and William Travis. The Mexican army raised the red flag, signalling that they would take no prisoners but instead kill everyone in the Alamo. In response, the Texan rebels fired a canon at the flag. Travis wrote letters and sent messengers asking for reenforcements, but he got none. He signed each letter "Victory or death." Knowing they were doomed, legend says that Travis drew a line in the sand. Anyone willing to stay and fight to the end should cross the line, and anyone who did not was free to leave. All but one crossed the line. The only one who did not was a doctor, who was sent to help the main army.
Finally, the Mexican army charged early in the morning. The Texans managed to repel the first wave but were eventually overrun, and everyone was killed.
However, they had bought enough time for the real Texas army to escape. Weeks later, the Texan army charged the Mexican camp and easily defeated the army and captured Santa Anna. They ran into battle yelling, "Remember the Alamo!"
This is how Texans won their independence.
The central building still stands today in the middle of San Antonio, Texas.
To buy time for the army to retreat, 182 men stayed in the Alamo to hold off the Mexican army, which had about 1800 men at the battle. For almost 2 weeks, the men held off the Mexican army while they were surrounded. Inside the Alamo were 3 living legends: Davy Crockett, Daniel Bowie, and William Travis. The Mexican army raised the red flag, signalling that they would take no prisoners but instead kill everyone in the Alamo. In response, the Texan rebels fired a canon at the flag. Travis wrote letters and sent messengers asking for reenforcements, but he got none. He signed each letter "Victory or death." Knowing they were doomed, legend says that Travis drew a line in the sand. Anyone willing to stay and fight to the end should cross the line, and anyone who did not was free to leave. All but one crossed the line. The only one who did not was a doctor, who was sent to help the main army.
Finally, the Mexican army charged early in the morning. The Texans managed to repel the first wave but were eventually overrun, and everyone was killed.
However, they had bought enough time for the real Texas army to escape. Weeks later, the Texan army charged the Mexican camp and easily defeated the army and captured Santa Anna. They ran into battle yelling, "Remember the Alamo!"
This is how Texans won their independence.
The central building still stands today in the middle of San Antonio, Texas.
Barton Springs
Barton Springs is sacred water in Texas. About 31 million gallons (120,000L) of water come from the spring every day, filling pools of cool water in the capital city, Austin, Texas. Texas limestone forms the bedrock of the pools. This water really is deep in the heart of Texas.
BBQ - Barbecue
Texas's most famous food is without a doubt our barbecue. Unlike Eastern US barbecue, Texas BBQ is mostly beef (sometimes pork) and does not use mustard-based sauce. Long, slow cooking is crucial to good barbecue. The type of wood used to cook the meat is also very important to its flavor. Cedar is common, but mesquite and hickory flavors are also very popular. Because the sauce is so flavorful, many *real* Texas BBQ places will serve bread or fries to be eaten with the sauce when all the meat is gone. It's messy, but it is the best meal you will ever eat.
Blue Bell Ice Cream
In Brenham, Texas, there is a small factory with an old truck from the early 1900's out front. It is named after a Texas flower that blooms in the summer. It is a company that started very small and has slowly grown to be quite big. The Blue Bell Creamery used to sell butter and ice cream to only one town in Texas. By word-of-mouth, it has become a popular ice cream across the southern United States. It is not a big multi-national corporation like Haagen-Dazs or Baskin-Robins 31 Flavors. It also continues to sell its huge half-gallon bucket of ice cream, instead of the small half-pints that are so popular. Despite this, it is the 3rd best-selling ice cream in the United States. In 2001, Forbes Magazine named Blue Bell the best ice cream in the country. Its most popular flavor, Homemade Vanilla, is the #1 selling ice cream in the United States. Blue Bell was also the first ice cream to feature the flavor Cookies n' Cream.
I love Blue Bell.
I love Blue Bell.
Song! "Deep in the Heart of Texas"
The stars at night,
are big and bright, Deep in the heart of Texas, The prairie sky is wide and high, Deep in the heart of Texas. The sage in bloom is like perfume, Deep in the heart of Texas, Reminds me of, the one I love, Deep in the heart of Texas. The coyotes wail, along the trail, Deep in the heart of Texas, The rabbits rush, Around the brush, Deep in the heart of Texas. The cowboys cry, "Ki-yip-pee-yi," Deep in the heart of Texas, The dogies bawl, and bawl and bawl, Deep in the heart of Texas. |
夜の星は大きくて明るい
テキサスの心(中、深い所)に 原の空は広くて高い テキサスの心に 咲いている蓬は香水のよう テキサスの心に 恋人のこと思い浮かぶ テキサスの心に トレールのあっちこっちにコヨーテ泣く テキサスの心に 植物の回りにウサギが走る テキサスの心に カオボイ達は叫ぶ: 「カイ・イッピー・ヤイ」 テキサスの心に 牛らは泣いて、泣いて、泣く テキサスの心に |
NASA
Even though rockets are not launched in Texas, my hometown, Houston, is famous as the location of NASA headquarters. When astronauts are in space on a mission, they communicate with NASA in Houston. The NASA Space Center is where a lot of important research and planning are done.
The Republic of Texas
Did you know that Texas used to be its own country? From 1836 to 1846, the Republic of Texas was its own separate nation. Texas had many problems at that time, from disputes with native tribes to slavery to just everyday hardships. It wanted to become an American state, but the United States would not accept Texas due to conflicts in the US about the power of states that held slaves. When Texas did finally become a state, it lost a bit of land on the northeast part of the territory, but it got a constitution with special privileges.
Rivalry: University of Texas vs. Texas A&M University
College football is very popular in the United States, and it is very important in Texas. Among the most powerful teams in the state are the Baylor University Bears, the Texas Tech Raiders, the University of Houston Cougars, the Rice University Owls, and the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. Until 2011, the biggest rivalry in the state (and one of the biggest in all of college sports) was the Lone Star rivalry between the University of Texas Longhorns, based in the capital city, Austin, and the Texas A&M University Aggies, based in College Station, Texas. The sometimes platonic, sometimes violent rivalry between the two schools lasted for 118 years. The Aggies accused the Longhorns of being tea-sipping hipsters who think too much of themselves, and the Longhorns charged that the Aggies were complete and utter morons.
Every year on Thanksgiving, the two schools would meet for their college football destinies. Before each meeting, the Aggies would build a massive bonfire on their campus (the tradition ended after a collapse of the bonfire structure caused the death of a dozen students), and the Longhorns burn red candles at the Hex Rally. The Hex Rally dates back to the 1940's. The year of the first Hex Rally, the Aggies were an unbeatable team, and Texas had not won their yearly match in almost 2 decades. Some students went to a fortune teller to ask for advice. They were told to burn red candles, symbolizing the defeat of the maroon-wearing Aggies. They burned red candles every day for a week before the match, and Texas won the game 23-0.
Both teams also mention the other school in their school fight songs. In "Texas Fight," there is a line that goes, "For it's goodbye to A&M," and the fans cheer, "Give 'em Hell; Give 'em Hell! A&M sucks!" Likewise, in the Aggie War Hymn, the whole second verse is about Texas.
Before every match, lots of mischief (いたずら) goes on between the schools and their fans.
There is a famous tower in Austin that lights up orange (the color of the University of Texas) whenever the Longhorns win. Usually it is only the top part of the tower. However, when the Longhorns win over the Aggies, the entire tower glows orange.
This rivalry plays out all the time all over the state. At Halloween, children dressed up as cheerleaders or football players for either university usually end up getting more candy than other kids. People drive orange- or maroon-colored cars to show their support for their university. Shirts or hats with university logos are common things for people to wear anytime. My father's license plate on his car for most of my life has read: UTRULS (テキサス大学最高). Longhorn fans like to tell "Aggie jokes," which inevitably has a punchline illustrating the stupidity of A&M students.
Every year on Thanksgiving, the two schools would meet for their college football destinies. Before each meeting, the Aggies would build a massive bonfire on their campus (the tradition ended after a collapse of the bonfire structure caused the death of a dozen students), and the Longhorns burn red candles at the Hex Rally. The Hex Rally dates back to the 1940's. The year of the first Hex Rally, the Aggies were an unbeatable team, and Texas had not won their yearly match in almost 2 decades. Some students went to a fortune teller to ask for advice. They were told to burn red candles, symbolizing the defeat of the maroon-wearing Aggies. They burned red candles every day for a week before the match, and Texas won the game 23-0.
Both teams also mention the other school in their school fight songs. In "Texas Fight," there is a line that goes, "For it's goodbye to A&M," and the fans cheer, "Give 'em Hell; Give 'em Hell! A&M sucks!" Likewise, in the Aggie War Hymn, the whole second verse is about Texas.
Before every match, lots of mischief (いたずら) goes on between the schools and their fans.
There is a famous tower in Austin that lights up orange (the color of the University of Texas) whenever the Longhorns win. Usually it is only the top part of the tower. However, when the Longhorns win over the Aggies, the entire tower glows orange.
This rivalry plays out all the time all over the state. At Halloween, children dressed up as cheerleaders or football players for either university usually end up getting more candy than other kids. People drive orange- or maroon-colored cars to show their support for their university. Shirts or hats with university logos are common things for people to wear anytime. My father's license plate on his car for most of my life has read: UTRULS (テキサス大学最高). Longhorn fans like to tell "Aggie jokes," which inevitably has a punchline illustrating the stupidity of A&M students.
Rodeo
Rodeo is the official state sport of Texas. It is a tradition throughout the United States, notably Colorado and Wyoming.
The sport started with the cattle drives--the cowboy days. Cattle would be herded from Texas and across the plains to Kansas City, Kansas, where the cattle would be sold and taken by train to the rest of the country. Once the cattle were gone, the cowboys didn't have much to do except go home. So they decided to hold competitions to show their skills in rope, riding, and livestock handling. Even children get involved in a sport called "mutton busting," wherein they ride sheep or goats for as long as they can.
Similar rodeos take place in Canada, Australia, Mexico, and South America.
The sport started with the cattle drives--the cowboy days. Cattle would be herded from Texas and across the plains to Kansas City, Kansas, where the cattle would be sold and taken by train to the rest of the country. Once the cattle were gone, the cowboys didn't have much to do except go home. So they decided to hold competitions to show their skills in rope, riding, and livestock handling. Even children get involved in a sport called "mutton busting," wherein they ride sheep or goats for as long as they can.
Similar rodeos take place in Canada, Australia, Mexico, and South America.
The State Fair of Texas
Held in Dallas every autumn, the State Fair of Texas is a sight to see. At the fair, there are games, prizes, live events, and fried foods you will see nowhere else in the world. The fair also has the largest ferris wheel in North America. In addition, you should not go to the fair without eating one of the legendary Fletcher's Corny Dogs.
In October, the fair gets more crowded than ever as the nearby stadium, The Cotton Bowl, hosts the Red River Shootout. The Red River Shootout is a very important college football match between the University of Texas and Oklahoma University. Oklahoma is the state immediately to the north of Texas. Texas and Oklahoma are very bitter rivals, and both football teams are strong. In the past ten years, this football match has been very important in deciding which teams in the country vie for the championship. Currently, Texas holds the winning record in the yearly competition: 59-42-5.
In October, the fair gets more crowded than ever as the nearby stadium, The Cotton Bowl, hosts the Red River Shootout. The Red River Shootout is a very important college football match between the University of Texas and Oklahoma University. Oklahoma is the state immediately to the north of Texas. Texas and Oklahoma are very bitter rivals, and both football teams are strong. In the past ten years, this football match has been very important in deciding which teams in the country vie for the championship. Currently, Texas holds the winning record in the yearly competition: 59-42-5.
The Texas Rangers
Based in Arlington, Texas, since 1971, the Texas Rangers is the American League team for the state of Texas. Like the Houston Astros, they have failed to win the World Series. In 2010 and 2011, however, they were a very strong team. They are named after the famous Texas Ranger Division, a group of law enforcement officers tasked with taming the Wild West. The historical Texas Rangers were proud and vicious warriors who fought in the Civil War and against roaming Native American tribes in Texas.
The Texas Rangers of baseball play at Ranger Stadium in Dallas, Texas. They have recently become news in Japan for recruiting Darvish to their ranks.
The Texas Rangers of baseball play at Ranger Stadium in Dallas, Texas. They have recently become news in Japan for recruiting Darvish to their ranks.
The University of Texas Longhorn Band - The Showband of the Southwest
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Song! "The Yellow Rose of Texas"
There's a yellow rose in Texas, that I am going to see,
No other soldier knows her, no soldier; only me She cried so when I left her it like to broke my heart, And if I ever find her, we nevermore will part. She's the sweetest little flower this soldier ever knew, Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew; You may talk about your Dearest May, and sing of Rosa Lee, But the Yellow Rose of Texas beats the belles of Tennessee. When the Rio Grande is flowing, the starry skies are bright, She walks along the river in the quiet summer night: She thinks if I remember, when we parted long ago, I promised to come back again, and not to leave her so. [Chorus] Oh now I'm going to find her, for my heart is full of woe, And we'll sing the songs together, that we sung so long ago We'll play the banjo gaily, and we'll sing the songs of yore, And the Yellow Rose of Texas shall be mine forevermore. [Chorus] |
テキサスにいる金色ローズを会いに行く
他の軍人(男)は彼女を知っていない(しない)、僕だけ 離れた時に、彼女は僕の心を恋わすほど泣いた いつか見つけたら、絶対離れぬ(ずっと一緒にいる) 彼女はこの軍人(僕)が知るの一番甘い(親切な)花だ 金剛石ほど明るい目だ、あれら露のようにキラキラする 君は大事なメイについて話しても、ロサ・リーについて歌ってもいいけど、 この金色テキサスローズは テネッシーのお嬢に負けない。 リオ・グランデ(大川)が流れて 夜空が明るい時、 静か夏の夜に彼女は川沿いに歩く 彼女は僕が離れた時を覚えるかた考える 僕は戻ってきて、もう離れずと約束した 心は悔恨で重いだから、彼女を探す 昔に歌った歌を一緒に歌おう 喜んでバンジョーを弾いて、 古い歌を歌おう そして、テキサスの金色のローズはいつまでも僕のになる |