A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to meet up with Maram once again. This time, she wanted to go to Sol de Luna, which was pretty different for us since we usually just meet up on campus. However, I never turn down Mexican food so I agreed to meet her there. When I got there, she was sitting with a table full of people. It didn't surprise me though- Maram has always been a social butterfly in all the other settings we have been in. I was excited to meet all of her new friends and get to know them. I soon found out that a lot of her friends are conversation partners with my friends in the class as well! Small world. I was able to take a picture with one of my new friends and send it to Jordan-her conversation partner.
It was awesome to hear about all their experiences with their conversation partners. They all seemed so grateful to have them, which is so weird to me because I feel like I should be the one thanking them! Because of them, I have been able to experience a new culture that I would have never known about otherwise. I am extremely thankful for this class and the opportunity to meet someone like Maram and all her friends.
It didn't take long before her friends welcomed me with open arms. They joked around with me, listened attentively to me and eagerly answered my questions. It had taken me aback a little, seeing as it’s so rare that you meet people that are actually genuinely interested in what you have to say. They asked me so many questions such as where I am from and what I am studying. It was so cool to hear about their experiences and their education as well. It wasn't long until we sifted through all the basic information you disclose when you meet someone and moved onto deeper questions.
Television and movies. It seemed like a rapid fire question round answering all their questions about what movies I have seen or what TV shows I watch. Being a proud film major, I had seen basically all what they had asked me. It was so exciting that I was able to talk to them about these things, seeing as though I have already exhausted all of my friends with these topics. We were able to talk about Friends, How I Met Your Mother, My Sister’s Keeper, Nightcrawler, and so much more. I love being able to talk to others about these things so this conversation just made me feel so much closer to these new found friends even though we had barely met 20 minutes ago. Although we are so vastly different through our countries and background, we completely bonded over something so simple.
It was amazing to meet all of Maram’s friends. It usually takes me a while to warm up to people, so I thought that this meeting would be very awkward for me. Much to my surprise, it certainly wasn’t! I felt so lucky to have been able to share my opinions on movies and tv shows with them. It’s great that this type of media is able to be discussed with people from all over the world- it makes you think about just how alike we all really are. 
Danielle, I was so happy to see that you got to spend time with my partner! Isn’t she incredible? All of the partners are so warm and welcoming. I had a similar experience when I was able to meet everyone’s partners at the pizza social at the recreation center. The students in the IEP program are open to listening and learning about our culture in an enthusiastic way. I too feel grateful for the knowledge and enlightenment they have given me. It is wonderful that you were able to find so many commonalities with all the partners. Conversations can seem daunting with people who aren’t accustomed to our English rhetoric. It is great to hear that your conversations went so smoothly with the students from all around the world!
ReplyDeleteWow! That sounds like a great experience. One of my goals at the beginning of the semester was to meet some of the friends of my conversation partner, Essa. I met several of his friends at the IEP social event. It was interesting to meet his friends, and I hope to introduce Essa to my friends next semester. Unfortunately, the IEP social was the only time I met his friends. I'm sure that we will have more opportunities to social with each others' friends next semester. I'm sure that playing 20 questions with Maram's friends was intense, but I think it reflects well on your relationship with her. It shows that you and Maram are truly interested in learning about one another, including the people she associates with.
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