Living the Nightlife with Bak Zoumanigui

Bak Zoumanigui was born in Senegal and moved to France where he completed most of his pre-university studies. When his father got a job in Austin, Texas, Bak was thrown into southwestern U.S. culture as he was completing high school. After college, Bak worked in the IT industry, while also developing his love of dance and nightlife in Austin. After launching a blog in 2009 to showcase the personal stories of bartenders, DJs, musical artists and performers, Bak started holding events for the public. In 2013, Bak started to monetize his events - literally giving people the "red carpet treatment" and meeting with the people who make Austin such a great place to have fun. Bak is also the host of The FeedBak - a podcast that talks about the different aspects and interviews the people that make Austin's nightlife an international draw for tourists, new residents, and performers. In this session of Breaking the Borders podcast, Bak and I discuss:

Experiences in U.S. schools and how public education here differs from the educational systems in France
Relearning everything previously studied in French, in English, and what it was like to learn the language
Social adjustments and dealing with American perceptions of someone who doesn't clearly fit any social stereotypes
Perceived norms and the pressure that comes with American social interaction

Resources The FeedBak

The FeedBak FaceBook Page

The FeedBak Twitter

mail: bak [a] thefeedbak [dot] com