Conversation 1

Just yesterday, I met with my new conversation partner, Brandon. We sat down at Union Grounds and pretty much started asking each other the generic questions when you are complete strangers. It was kind of awkward and just hard to relate to one another since we came from such different backgrounds, but it got easier as it went on.

I felt like at the beginning I had to lead the conversation since English was more natural for me, but as we continued we were both able to ask each other questions regarding life. At first, we talked about how he liked school and where he lived on campus. This is when I got to understand just how much English he actually knew. I began to realize that English was more difficult for him as he was probably at a middle school level. But I could tell that he was able to comprehend information, he just wasn’t able to process it as fast as me. So I could tell he was smart and new English well he just needed practice. He told me about his troubles, and how this “listening” section of his IEP program was the hardest. We talked about his IEP program for a lot of the time and how just questions surrounding his path to TCU. Being from China, he said a lot of people come to the states seeking a college degree. Initially he said he wanted to go to University of San Francisco, but found his heart in Texas after doing some research about DFW and the Neeley School of Business. He is aspiring to become a Finance student here at TCU as well as a minor in Chinese. Me being a business major, he asked me a lot about classes and their difficulty. I shared that though they are hard, if you study you will do well. I then started to ask about his schooling in China. Brandon went on to say that he studied pretty much from sunrise to late into the evening. He made it seem so monotonous and automated. It sounded pretty awful.

Then we left Union Grounds and went on a walk and smoked some cigarettes. He wanted me to try his Chinese cigarettes that he was talking about throughout our conversation. We went back to his room in Waits and he grabbed them and even gave me a pack. We went outside and just stood there, trying the different flavors of these cigarettes. As were just hanging out, I felt like I was just spending time with one of my friends getting to know each other better. The conversation wasn’t forced like it was at the beginning. It just flowed.

I think one thing that actually lightened up the mood was the laughter that we both expressed. As we got to know each other more and more, the laughter became more frequent. It made the environment more enjoyable for both of us. This once again connects to the idea that laughter and humor is a unifying force rather than something that is used to isolate people from one another.

This more relaxed environment could also be connected to the fact that we became familiar with how each other spoke and our tendencies. We both had to adjust and stretch our typical language in order for the other to fully understand. This was difficult but as we continued the conversation, it became easier and more of a habit to be more descriptive and simple when talking to Brandon.

Though the first conversation with Brandon was interesting and fun, I learned a lot. I began to understand there’s a lot of world out there that I haven’t seen, and I need to get out soon and explore. Secondly, that we as people are the same, no matter what the skin color or gender, we are still all the same and equal. In contrast, I also realized that though we may be human, we all have a different story to tell, we just need to be patient and listen.