Conversation Partner #1

When we were told that we were to receive conversation partners for this class, I was instantly intrigued. I had no anxiety about my ability to make conversation with a person I didn't know, especially someone of a different culture. That has always been a talent of mine; I can talk to a brick wall. However, on Friday, waiting in the bookstore, the anxiety hit me. I realized how little ("in theory") I thought Vena and I had in common. She is an adult in her 20's who just moved to Texas three weeks ago from Taiwan and I am a teenager born and raised in California. I sat there pondering the endless scenarios of awkwardness in my head. Vena walked in with her sister and I instantly knew it was her. Her small 5'3 frame was dwarfed by all 5'11 inches of me. She came up introduced herself and her sister and we waited in line for coffee. I started out with a simple question, "How did you decide to come to TCU", in slow and plain English. All I got back was a blank stare. The depths of our communication barriers hit me, and for some reason I panicked. I don't know why... I have been on three week long missions trips to Central America and found a way to communicate despite my atrocious Spanish. I learned to be patient, to clarify meanings as many times as needed, and to use gestures until the message was received. I also learned that despite cultural backgrounds, in the end of the day, we have so much in common. If you just focus on common factors that are universal such as laughter conversation will follow. Despite all of my experience, I had forgotten these simple facts. I reminded myself of my strengths and made a resolution just to have fun and get to know her. I left that anxiety behind as soon as we sat down and there was an instant connection. Conversation just flowed. We talked about her time in Texas, her experiences in Taiwan, and why she decided to study English. I told her that I had gone to a high school that was 75% Asian, and shared with her my knowledge and experiences with her culture. I showed her a bit of the Mandarin that I knew, which really served to break down walls. By putting myself in a situation where I was vulnerable and showed weakness, it made her more confident to ask questions about my culture and language. To be honest, when reflecting back I can't even remember specifics about our conversation. This might at first seem as if it was because the conversation was mundane, but it was the exact opposite. I wasn't trying; I didn't feel forced. I just sat down, laughed, and listened with open ears. Before we knew it, an hour had passed. Vena is such a sweet and loving girl. I was astounded by her courage to pick up everything and move to America. I left the meeting with an overwhelming sense of happiness and a realization that I have a lot to learn from her.