Bowling!

Bowling is definitely not the best event to choose when you have a CONVERSATION Partner. As I mentioned earlier, she has the tendency to be super shy so I don't like to give her the chance to avoid talking to me. 

Well during bowling it was just the two of us so we did not speak much. I always bring up questions and make her talk to me, and in the silent moments tease her about how she's not allowed to keep quiet! After only one game we decided to leave so that we could just sit and talk. We settled for the Union courtyard and started up. I can never get over how shy she is! It's adorable, she feels so guilty that her English is not good, it makes her feel bad that I have to listen to her. I continue to reassure her that that's what I'm even here for! 

I asked her when she knew she was going to come to America, what was the one thing she didn't want to leave without. She said Disney World! I was so excited and I hope we get to plan a trip to go. I accidentally got too excited and started to talk really fast and she was like "slow please!"

I asked her what she wants to do with her major and she described how she wants to deal with pollution in air and water. And she asked me the same question and was pretty interested. 

One of the most fascinating things I found out today was that they wear uniforms to middle school and high school.. but they even take their shoes off before class!! I was very intrigued. 

I asked whether that means her schools are pretty clean, she laughed and shook her head no. 

Today was fun because we exposed a little of our ethnic side by counting to ten in our different languages. 

I'll be texting her this week to see what she wants to do!

1/30/08

My conversation partner is Heyejin Kim from Korea. I did not know what to expect since the first time I met her at the Conversation Party she was so shy! I have not met someone so shy before! It's really cute though because she gets so shy she covers her face with her hands and puts her head down. She gets very nervous about the amount of English she can speak. 

Our first meeting was at Chili's for some lunch because we were both starving. I helped her pick something to eat since it was her first time there. She ended up eating a burger and I had some soup and a salad. 

We kind of scramble for things to say because there is a limited spectrum of things that she knows. Usually i'm the one who brings up a topic because she gets frustrated and stays in her thoughts. 

At this meeting I really just wanted her to be comfortable and understand that I don't mind that she has broken English, that I understand what she's doing and that i'm patient with her, willing to work with her and wait for her to gather her thoughts. 

I gradually broke the ice, asking about family and friends, seeing if she had a boyfriend and discussing some interests so we can find things in common. I asked her a lot about Korea. I know it sounds naive but I never thought that she was literally going to be a student from Korea the way our students go abroad, the difference being that she simply wishes to learn English. 

I asked why she even wanted this, she explained how it would be better for her career as she will be graduating soon as an Environmental Engineer and it's better to know English. 

One of the things I have always been curious about was the situation in Korea with the complications of North and South Korea. She didn't have the capability to translate her thoughts to me..

So this is a conversation for another day. She promised she'd tell me once she learned more.